Christmas Ham

I bought a magnificent 4kg smoked horseshoe gammon from my good friend Derek Stott of D and D Family Butchers for Christmas.

Here is my traditional recipe for cooking it.

Ingredients

-smoked gammon with a good layer of fat
-juniper berries
-black peppercorns
-bay leaves
-cloves
-demerara sugar
-egg yolk
-English mustard powder
-breadcrumbs

Method

-place an upturned plate in the largest saucepan you have (this stops the base of the ham burning)
-add bayleaves, juniper and peppercorn to the pot
-place ham on plate and fill with water until covered
-simmer for 20 minutes per pound
-remove rind when cooked
-score fat
-stud with cloves
-mix egg yolk, mustard and sugar into paste
-smear paste over fat
-sprinkle with breadcrumbs
-bake for 15 minutes in 180 over

Voila!

Blood marvellous!

Sausage Rolls

Ingredients

- sausage meat (I got mine from my good chum from Derek Stott of D and D Family Butchers)
- mixed herbs
- 250g plain flour
- 250g butter
- 250mg ice cold water
- lemon juice
- salt/pepper
- beaten egg

Method

- sift flour into bowl and season
- add lemon juice
- cube butter
- add to flour and mix roughly with hands
- slowly add water with one hand, mixing with other until dough ball is formed
- put in fridge
- mix sausage meat with herbs and season
- fry off a spoonful to check flavour
- flour working surface
- roll dough into rectangle
- fold 3 ways and turn 90 degrees then roll away from you
- repeat twice more
- roll sausage meat in between hands and place longways down the side of dough
- roll dough over sausage and brush edge with egg
- seal
- score
- cut into size desired
- repeat
- place on baking paper on baking tray
- put into pre heated oven 180 degrees
- cook for around 25 mins until brown

Enjoy hot or cold!

Kudos To English's of Brighton

Kudos and thanks to the good people of @EnglishsoB for a rip roaring evening last night. Great food, booze and cheerful friendly efficient service from Antonio and his colleagues. pic.twitter.com/d4Yxo11m3x

— Ken Frost (@ken_frost) December 18, 2018

Chicken Soup

Here is a simple, quick recipe for chicken soup that will warm the cockles of your heart.

Ingredients

-chicken quarters (sourced from my good chum Derek Stott of D and D Family Butchers)
-bay leaves
-onion
-carrots
-garlic
-celery
-olive oil
-salt/pepper
-water

Method

-Sauté the chicken for a few minutes in olive oil, salt and pepper
-Add the diced carrots, celery, bay leaves, garlic and onion
-Add water to cover the chicken etc
-Simmer for an hour
-Remove chicken and de-bone
-Distress the chicken meat and return to the soup

Voila!

Frosty The Mince Man

You better watch out
You better not cry…@70s_party pic.twitter.com/GknwCBl3uf

— Camilla Cary-Elwes (@The_Copy_Editor) November 19, 2018

Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding

My thanks to my good chum Derek Stott (of D and D Family Butchers) who cut me a magnificent 3.5kg joint of 28 day aged sirloin (with an excellent layer of fat) from the Highlands.

I roasted it with Yorkshire Pudding, which I cook under the meat in its juices and fat. The result being a beef infused "pancake".

Pudding Ingredients

-egg
-flour
-milk
-salt/pepper

Method

Mix the batter at least an hour before needed, and leave to rest.

When the beef has less than an hour to cook, pour the batter under the joint into the fat that has rendered from the joint.

Let the meat rest for 20 mins or so, and then make the gravy in the roasting pan once you have removed the pudding.

The meat was very flavoursome, succulent and tender. The Yorkshire Pudding was superb, and by the way is also great eaten cold with salt!

The Italian Evening at The Dover Castle Brighton

My heartiest congratulations, and kudos, to Chef Jason Bear and the good people of the Dover Castle Brighton, for hosting an Italian Evening last night....oh the official title was:

Italian Food For Families, Friends and Lovers

Irrespective of semantics the food, atmosphere and service were absolutely bloody brilliant.

The small plates of splendid, tasty and homemade Italian food were great. Chef Jason Bear created dishes using family recipes, and made use of a rolling pin for the homemade pasta (no poncey modern pasta machines for him!).

The food was top notch and, as far as I am concerned, the lasagne was the best I have ever had (even better than my own!). Also, by the way, the lamb neck with borlottie beans was ace. Eva was well pleased with her arancini and calamari.

Oh, and by the way, the Prosecco and sambucas lubricated our palettes nicely.

Please may we have more of these evenings!

Roasted Pumpkin and Garlic Soup

Ingredients

-pumpkin
-two heads of garlic
-bay leaves
-onion chopped
-olive oil
-butter
-chicken stock
-sea salt/pepper
-nutmeg

Method

-halve the pumpkins and discard seeds/stringy bits
-score and season
-place garlic and bay leaves in each half and drizzle with olive oil
-roast at 180 for 1 hour
-soften onion in olive oil and nutmeg
-scoop out cooked pumpkin and add to onion
-squeeze out garlic and add
-discard bay leaves
-add stock
-add a good sized knob of butter
-blitz

Lovely and warming for a winter's evening!

Pea Soup

Ingredients

-frozen peas
-onion (chopped)
-potato (chopped)
-chicken stock
-water
-salt/pepper

Method

Put everything into a saucepan, simmer for twenty minutes.

Blitz.

A lovely warming, comforting soup for a winter's day.

The Ivy Revisited - In Which The Ivy Grows a Pair

We went to the Ivy again on Saturday, with a chum who was down from London, and had a rip roaring evening.

Kudos and thanks to the good people of the Ivy for putting on a splendid evening for us, the food was excellent (I highly commend the Shepherd's Pie - which, btw, needs to be served as a larger portion) as was the ambience and the service first class (special mention in dispatches for our splendid waiter, who is a natural people person and showman in the very best sense of the word!).

Loyal readers will recall that when I first reviewed The Ivy in May, I made the following observation:

"NB: for reasons best known to the Ivy they won't flame your Sambuca (for full details please see my views on that here)."

Which I then waxed lyrical about on Nanny Knows Best.

I am very pleased to report that since then #SambucaGate has been addressed, The Ivy has grown a pair, and flaming Sambucas are now on the menu there!

They were served with enthusiasm, gusto and were splendid.

Kudos!

Beaujolais Nouveau At The Independent Brighton

Kudos and thanks to Chef Sam Ireland and the good people of  The Independent Brighton for laying on a splendid Beaujolais Nouveau evening last night.

It was a hoot and a half!

Butter Cured Steak

Roast Pheasant and Bread Sauce

As we are now in the autumnal months my chum Derek Stott, of D and D Family Butchers, had some local pheasant in his shop.

Here is a recipe for roast pheasant with bread sauce.

Ingredients

-pheasant
-carrots
-onion
-cooking apple
-bay leaves
-cloves
-lemon
-butter
-smoked streaky bacon (from Derek of course!)
-bread
-milk
-salt/pepper

Method

Grate the onion and sweat in olive oil, combine with a grated peeled cooking apple and add lemon juice.

Stuff the pheasant with the above.

Smear liberally with butter, then cover in bacon.

Put the bird on the sliced carrots in a casserole, and roast at 190 for around 1 hour 30 mins.
Rest the bird upside down for 15 minutes in order to ensure juices flow to the breast.

Stud half an onion with cloves and infuse the onion and bay leaves in warm milk.

Discard onion and bay leaves, add bread crumbs and warm whilst adding butter and salt and pepper.

Voilà, a meal fit for a king!

Beef Bacon

Look at what’s out of the smoker... our NEW BEEF BACON.

Come and get it. £1.89 per 100 grams #artisan #properbutcher pic.twitter.com/0Wk0yldHJT

— LEE HORSLEY FROST (@frostybutcher) November 8, 2018

Restaurant Idiocy - WE WANT ROUND PLATES!

No need to apologise, people quite like plates.

(Pic: @ShaunGunner) pic.twitter.com/WaqSLNzs3r

— We Want Plates 🍽 (@WeWantPlates) November 6, 2018

Bolognese Sauce

Ingredients

-mince
-onion
-garlic
-olive oil
-bay leaves
-mixed herbs
-stock
-chopped tomatoes
-red wine
-sun dried tomato paste
-sun dried tomatoes
-fresh parsley
-Worcestershire sauce
-salt/pepper

Method

Sweat onions, garlic, herbs and bay leaves in olive oil.

Add the mince and sauté, then add everything else and simmer for an hour.

Top Tip

When the spaghetti is cooked, add two ladels of the water to the bolognese.

Pumpkin and Apple Veloute - The Independent Brighton

Kudos and respect to Chef Sam Ireland and the good people of the Independent, for this splendid soup (yes, I call it soup;)) which I had last night.

It was bloody marvellous, flavoursome and silky smooth.

Ideal for an autumnal evening!

William Sitwell Resigns From Waitrose Food Magazine Over Vegan Comments

BREAKING: William Sitwell has resigned as editor of Waitrose Food magazine after his comments about making a "series on killing vegans" and force-feeding them meat in a reply to a freelance pitch

— Press Gazette (@pressgazette) October 31, 2018

Protein Shakes Don't Get a Michelin Star

We asked a Michelin-starred chef to taste-test some protein shakes. It didn't go well pic.twitter.com/m0XjqeeMT9

— TicToc by Bloomberg (@tictoc) October 29, 2018

Jamie Has No More Money For Jamie's Italian

Jamie Oliver admits he has ‘no more money’ to keep struggling Italian restaurant chain afloat https://t.co/bdXkA531Iu pic.twitter.com/GtbS2tgncZ

— The Independent (@Independent) October 30, 2018

My sympathy to the staff of that chain, it sounds very much like Jamie will pull the plug if things haven't turned around.

Roast Pork and Stuffing

My good friend Derek Stott, of D and D Family Butchers, scored and chined this splendid pork loin (from a locally reared pig) for me.

I roasted it with my homemade herb and onion stuffing (placed under the meat for the last 45 minutes of cooking).

Oh, for added flavour, cook your gravy in the meat pan after you have taken the pork and stuffing out of it.

The pork was succulent, tasty and lovely and tender!

Corned Beef Hash (Oven Version)

 
Ingredients

-potatoes
-corned beef
-onion
-butter
-milk
-beef stock
-curry powder
-English mustard powder (a large amount)
-Worcestershire sauce
-cheese (grated)
-salt/pepper

Method

-cook and mash the spuds
-sweat the onion
-add all ingredients together
-bake for around 45 mins
-finish off under the grill

Marvellous on its own, or with fried eggs!

Thick Tomato Soup

Ingredients

-Tomatoes (chopped)
-Butter
-Onion (chopped)
-Garlic (chopped)
-Sugar (6 tablespoons)
-Parsley
-Smoked paprika (teaspoon)
-Red wine vinegar (200ml)
-Thick slice of good quality fresh bread (torn up)
-Salt/pepper

Method

-Sweat onions and garlic
-Add red wine vinegar and sugar, reduce by half
-Add tomatoes and cook for 20 mins
-Add parsley, paprika, salt and pepper
-Blitz
-Add bread
-Blitz again

NB: Posh chefs would then strain it.

I am not a posh chef, I eat it in its chunky form.

Fabada

Ingredients

-pancetta
-chorizo
-morcilla
-cannellini beans
-smoked paprika
-bay leaves
-garlic
-saffron
-chicken stock
-slat/pepper

Method

Put everything into a sealed casserole and cook in the oven.

Chicken With Garlic and Basil

Here is a simple, but flavoursome, recipe for chicken with garlic and basil.

Needless to say you should purchase your chicken from my chum Derek Stott, of D and D Family Butchers.

Ingredients

-Chicken quarters
-Potatoes
-Garlic (at least a head and a half)
-Thyme
-Basil
-Rosemary
-Bay leaves
-Olive oil
-Stock
-Onion
-Salt/pepper

Method

Slice the potatoes and place them in a roasting pan together with chopped onion, garlic (half a head chopped) and rosemary.

Blitz the olive oil, thyme, salt, pepper, basil, bay leaves and a whole head of garlic then cover the chicken with it.

Add the stock to the spuds, place the chicken on top and roast until cooked.

Voila!

Succulent, flavoursome and very splendid!

Falukorv - A Classic Swedish Dish

Ingredients

-Falukorv
-Cheese
-Tomato Purée
-English mustard powder

Method
Watch the video

Serve with baked potatoes and pease pudding

Chicken in a White Wine and Mushroom Sauce

My recipe, it's quite simple but very tasty.

Ingredients

-chicken thighs
-mushrooms cut
-onion chopped
-garlic chopped
-salt pepper
-brandy
-white wine
-stock
-flour
-butter
-milk
-olive oil

Method

Sauté onions, garlic and 'shrooms in seasoned olive oil

Add the thighs, and sauté a little longer. Add brandy, allow to reduce then add wine and stock.

Simmer for 45 minutes or so.

Then thicken with a flour, butter, milk roux.

Gluten Free Sausages

When I was buying my supplies of sausages, bacon and kidneys the other day from my chum Derek Stott, of D and D Family Butchers, I got to talking with him about the gluten free pork sausages that he also makes.

They contain no bread/rusk to bind them so the meat content is higher than a normal sausage.

Out of curiosity I bagged a couple of them as well, jut to test out.

As you can see from the video, in their uncooked state they are much pinker than a normal pork sausage.

I cooked them in the butter that I had sautéed my kidneys in the day before, for added lusciousness.

I had my doubts, when cooking them, that given the absence of binding agent they would fall apart or split. However, as you can see, they held their form and shape perfectly.

The texture was more crumbly than a normal sausage, but the flavour was most porkisome!

Bacon and Sausages

Not everyone may realise but in addition to excellent cuts of meat, my chum Derek Stott (of D and D Family Butchers) also makes his own sausages on the premises (eg Kempton Breakfast, Pork, Lincolnshire etc).

I regularly buy his Lincolnshire sausages (a flavoursome mix of pork, and herbs) with, naturally, smoked back bacon.

Here is a fry up feast, where all the ingredients (apart from the fried bread and eggs) are roasted in the oven in the same roasting tray in olive oil.

I think it's resonantly self explanatory from the video as to what to do.

The result, when washed down with two cans of Red Stripe, is marvellous!

Sauteed Lamb's Kidneys

Christmas Tree Flavoured Crisps - An Abomination!

NOPE. pic.twitter.com/e1EAv2qGZZ

— Natasha Hinde (@tashahinde) October 3, 2018

Modern Dining Etiquette

Kimchi Taste Test

I have just conducted a kimchi taste test of three UK produced kimchis.

Without a doubt my vote goes to Eaten Alive, well fermented and with a spicy kick!

Chuseok and Spam

Chuseok, or Harvest Festival, has begun in Korea; and in the South a traditional and popular gift is Spam.

Seemingly South Koreans love Spam.

For why?

"“Because Spam is both salty and high in fat, it compliments the spicy, tangy elements of Korean food very well – particularly kimchi, as the flavours balance each other out.”

Introduced in the South in the 1950's by the US army, to feed the starving war torn population, it has never looked back.

A very happy Chuseok to my Korean friends!

Chef Sam's Sausage Fest at The Independent Brighton

Pork Chops At Their Finest

Rostick Restaurant Voted Restaurant of The Year 2018

Kudos to Lornezo Cinalli and the good people of the Rostick Restaurant in Eastbourne (which I reviewed this July) for being voted, by readers of the Eastbourne Herald, Restaurant of The Year 2018.

A well deserved award!

Sara From English's of Brighton Live at The Tabasco Oyster Opening Championships

Go Sara, Go!

Tabasco Oyster Opening Championships

Good luck to Sara of one of my favourite Brighton restaurants, English's!

You Can't Beat a Barnsley Chop!

A Plump Succulent Bird - What's Not To Like?

You Can't Beat Home Cooked Roast Beef!

Is Jamie Oliver a Jerk? - Discuss

Labour MP Dawn Butler accuses Jamie Oliver of cultural appropriation over "punchy jerk rice" product https://t.co/JRrZJW5hCv

— Jess Brammar (@jessbrammar) August 20, 2018

Cake Fruits

These fruits will mess with your mind pic.twitter.com/lKmQNSJwg1

— Mashable (@mashable) August 9, 2018

RIP Chef Joel Robuchon

Bullshit Menus

There's something seriously wrong with this 'breakfast special' sign https://t.co/qPVVvJFKiH pic.twitter.com/JoojIs47rJ

— The Sun (@TheSun) August 8, 2018

Rostick Restaurant Eastbourne

Restaurant

Rostick Restaurant
209 Terminus Road,
Eastbourne
BN21 3 DH

01323 301 400

Overview

Eva and I were in Eastbourne for a couple of days this week, and visited Rostick for lunch on Tuesday.

Rostick is an Italian restaurant offering food "direct from the foothills of Abruzzo - known as the greenest area of Europe - where its pastures run for miles to the shores of the Adriatic, this is the source of Italian food at its finest."

Uniquely, it imports Abruzzo-grown mountain lamb for the signature dish, Arrosticini (Rosticks).

 The pasta is made fresh daily in the traditional way.

Ambience

The restaurant has a traditional rustic style to it, cosy inside, with outside seating for when the weather is good. As it was sunny and warm, we sat outside and dined alfresco.

Menu

The menu has an excellent selection of homemade pasta, meat, fish and specials.

Service

We were warmly welcomed by the owner Lorenzo Cinalli and his partner, who looked after us very nicely; they were very friendly, efficient and professional.

Food

Eva started with the carpaccio di mazo, thin-sliced beef served over green salad with olive oil and parmesan shavings. The meat was flavoursome and exceptionally tender. Notably, and to its credit, the portion was generous.

She then had the Fusilli con Gamberi, Capesante e Zucchine, homemade corkscrew pasta with king prawns, scallops, courgettes, garlic and tomatoes. This was a hearty and tasty dish, where the flavours were well balanced and not overpowering.

I started with the Rigatoni all’amatriciana, fresh rigatoni with pancetta, onions and tomato. This was excellent, the flavours were well balanced and the portion very decent but not overwhelming. Note, this dish does not need parmesan, as Lorenzo correctly advised me.

I then had one of the specials, a veal t bone steak with a special tomato, garlic and wine sauce. The meat (locally sourced) was exceptionally tender and had a beautiful flavour. The sauce complimented the meat without overpowering it, and not diverting one's attention away from it.

Bloody marvellous!

The bill, which included, service, Prosecco, sambucas and coffee came to came to £110.

Overall Opinion

An excellent restaurant, well worth making a special trip to Eastbourne just to eat here. We will be doing that again!

Oh and here, by the way, is a photo of a their stuffed roast pork!

Happy Birthday Spam!

Happy 81st birthday to Spam! Unlike some other things we are randomly saying 'happy birthday' to today, @SPAMbrand is always reliable and satisfying :)#NHS70 pic.twitter.com/cos98OMRly

— James Price 🌐 (@jamesprice_tpa) July 5, 2018

Major Restaurant Chain Fiddling Beer Measures

The Telegraph reports that a major restaurant chain has been caught serving pints of beer in glasses that are 8.1ml too small.

A nationwide recall of the glasses was ordered amid fears drinkers had been served short measures at the restaurants up and down the country.

The discovery was made by Birmingham Trading Standards, which launched an investigation after a “significant complaint” was made.

The council discovered that the chain, which has not been identified, was selling beer in glasses that were 8.1ml too shallow.

It recalled 41 glasses from two bars in the city ahead of a wider recall. Officials declined to identify the chain or the glass manufacturer because the case did not result in a prosecution.

Happy Birthday To The Independent Brighton

The Independent
95 Queen’s Park Road
Brighton
East Sussex
BN2 0GH

01273 602822

Today I would like to wish my good friends (front and back of house) and neighbours at The Independent a very happy third birthday.

The Independent (founded in 2015) is a true freehouse gastropub in the Hanover/Queens Park area of Brighton, free of any brewery, pub chain or tie. Currently they have four real ales alongside 12 keg beers, which change weekly.

The Independent is the only pub owned by Brighton residents James and Matt, who are passionate about creating the kind of pub they would be pleased to have as their own local.

Managed under the gimlet eye of Jen; drinkers, diners, locals and out of towners can be assured of a warm welcome from her and her experienced, professional, long serving and cheerful colleagues (Brice, Hugh, Natalia, Ruby et al) who have grown used to my "eccentricities".

The ever changing menu, prepared by Chef Sam and his team, mixes traditional British dishes with Mediterranean and other European flavours, including vegetarian options.

By the way, currently both the gigot of lamb and chicken breast dishes are my top tips!

On Sundays they do a full range of roasts, which are excellent.

So a very Happy Birthday to you all, I was there on your opening night and look forward to many more years frequenting your fine establishment.

Every success for the future!

Happy World Cucumber Day From The Colonnade Bar Brighton

The Colonnade Bar
10 New Road
BN1 1UF
Brighton

01273 328728

As per their FB page:

"So Hendricks gin were supposed to do some really elaborate promo for World Cucumber Day on Thursday the 14th to give everybody free G&Ts. But hilariously they haven't actually set their system up for it, even though it was supposed to be up last week. So we'll just cut out the middle man and do it for them. On Thursday, bring us a Cucumber and we'll give you a free Hendricks and Fevertree tonic. Sometimes simple is better. Also, totally unrelated, honest, but we'll also just happen to be selling cucumbers for our charity of choice, Teenage Cancer Trust. 😉 xx"

The Colonnade Bar is marvellous, great drinks and very welcoming professional staff.

Well worth a visit!

Tinto Taperia Brighton

Restaurant

Tinto Taperia
7 New Road
Brighton
BN1 1UF

01273 727766

Overview

Eva and I went to the recently opened Tinto Taperia on Sunday evening for dinner.

Tinto Taperia is next to the Theatre Royal on the site of the El Mexicano restaurant that closed last year (the owners wanted a change of cuisine). It is owned by the same people who owned El Mexicano, and the chef used to run the kitchens of the El Mexicano.

The restaurant has an approximate capacity of 45 as well as an outside terrace for 20 plus.

Ambience

The interior is Spanish in feel and layout, bright tiles on the walls interspersed with colourful Spanish posters from past decades/eras.

The seating suits all tastes, with traditional tables and chairs, booths and high tables with high backed bar stools.

Menu

The menu offers an excellent selection of Tapas, paella and steak for those not interested in Tapas,

Service

We were warmly welcomed, the service was very friendly, efficient and professional.

Food

We selected a variety of Tapas dishes:

-Gambas (which were very spicy and flavoursome),
-a selection of cold cuts (generous and tasty),
-meatballs in a spicy tomato sauce,
-chicken thighs in a garlic and white wine sauce (bloody good, my personal favourite),
-tortilla (a lovely potato and onion omelette),
-potatoes in a mojo pican sauce (rather a nice change from traditional fried potatoes) and
-mushroom croquettes with manchego cheese (Eva loves manchego cheese).

All the food was well cooked, well presented and bloody tasty.

Unlike some establishments the hot dishes were all served at the same time (which is what we wanted), and I am also pleased to say (again unlike some establishments) the dishes were not swimming in a lake of olive oil.

Kudos and compliments to the chef and staff!

The bill, which included service, a very good white Rioja and four flaming sambucas (The Ivy please take note!) came to £88.

NB: In case you are wondering dear reader, yes the four flaming sambucas were all for me (Eva just wanted a coffee).

Overall Opinion

A fun establishment, good food and welcoming professional service.

It is well worth a visit, we most certainly will be returning!

The Ivy Brighton

Restaurant

The Ivy
51 Ship St, 
Brighton 
BN1 1AF

01273 323847

Overview

Eva and I went to the recently opened Ivy in Brighton on Friday night for dinner.

The Ivy is located in the grade II listed old post office, it is open seven days a week, offering all-day dining. The Ivy has a DJ spinning music on weekends during brunch, 11am – 5pm.

There is also a private dining room seating up to 20 guests and canapé receptions for up to 40 guests.

Ambience

The decor is very colourful, many prints on the wall are by local artists giving the place an art deco vibe. The tables and seating are comfortable, but maybe are a little too tightly squeezed together. There are leather banquettes, a central onyx bar and pendant lighting.

Personally speaking I am not 100% certain that The Ivy's version of Fat Boy Slim spinning discs is an absolute necessity. However, that is just my personal view.

Menu

The menu is "busy" to say the least, offering an array of food ranging from chicken, steaks, sarnies (pre 17:00), lobster and shepherd's pie.

Service

We were warmly welcomed, the service was friendly, efficient and professional.

Food

Eva started with smoked salmon and crab with dill cream and soda bread. She was very happy with the salmon, though felt the crab itself may not have added that much value to the taste.

She then opted for the veal paillard, which was a special. This was a thinly beaten veal escalope, sauteed in breadcrumbs and served with a lemon caper sauce, with mash as an accompaniment. Eva was very happy with this, the veal was tender and flavoursome and was complemented well by the lemon caper sauce.

I started with the prawn cocktail, a classic served with avocado, baby gem lettuce and cherry tomatoes in a rose marie sauce. It was a decent dish, a good number of prawns that had body to them. I would say that the sauce itself was excessively salty, this was either due to an overdose of  the "piquant" element of rose marie or simply too much salt.

I then had the 21 day old dry aged 12oz rib eye steak on the bone. It was splendid, cooked medium as requested. The meat was exceptionally tender, it cut like butter, and very flavoursome with just the right amount of fat and zero sinew. I had ordered the green peppercorn red wine and rosemary sauce as an accompaniment, but quite frankly I didn't need it as the steak spoke for itself.

The bill, which included, service, champagne and four Sambucas came to £215.

NB: for reasons best known to the Ivy they won't flame your Sambuca (for full details please see my views on that here).

Overall Opinion

A fun establishment, good food and welcoming professional service. It is worth a visit.

The Copper Clam Brighton Seafront

Restaurant

The Copper Clam
143-144
Kings Road Arches
Brighton, BN1 2FN

01273 323847

Overview

It being an unseasonably warm and sunny Bank Holiday, Eva and I dined al fresco at The Copper Clam on Brighton's seafront.

The Copper Clam is a family owned/run restaurant that specialises in fine fresh seafood served in a relaxed environment. The food is sourced as freshly and locally as possible. The lobsters are caught within a stone's throw of the restaurant from Brighton beach, and all of the steaks are sourced from Sussex farms.

Ambience

The outside area is very pleasant, the table and seating are comfortable and not squeezed too tightly together. Heating and lighting is also installed underneath the parasols.

We were afforded a splendid view of the sunset and the British Airways i360.

Menu

The menu offers a splendid selection of seafood and steaks including, caviar, oysters, crab and lobsters.

Service

The service was very friendly, welcoming, warm and professional.

Food

Eva started with the scallops served with pureed cauliflower and bacon jam. A dish of tasty well cooked (not overdone) plump scallops with roes intact (I mention this, because some establishments, for reasons that elude me, remove the roe - the tastiest part of the scallop).

She then had the moules mariniere, mussels in wine, leeks, parsley and garlic. These were very pleasant, grit free and nicely complemented by the wine/leek stock.

I started with the Beluga caviar served with blinis, creme fraiche, cured egg yolk & sliced scallops and washed down with a vodka shot. A splendid start to the meal!

I then had the lobster thermidor, a whole locally caught lobster in a thermidor sauce accompanied by new potatoes in butter. The lobster was first class, flavoursome and a most excellent size.

The bill, which I have misplaced, including tip, champagne, coffee, creme brulee and some sambuca shots came to around £150 I think.

Overall Opinion

An excellent establishment, great food and very welcoming professional service. We most definitely will return, and are happy to recommend it.

Inside The Ivy Brighton

Brighton’s best looking ladies loo?🏆✨🤩🌟🚽 @theivybrighton pic.twitter.com/hzej1VlEnm

— Eshé 🍴 (@FoodieEshe) April 27, 2018

As I posted a couple of weeks ago, The Ivy is coming to Brighton and will open on May 2nd.

Prior to opening Eshé, a food obsessed blogger from Brighton, has published some stunning pictures of the interior including the ladies' loo (see above - which in itself looks a cut above the rest).

Here is a link to her photos.

Chef Sam's Seafayre at The Independent

Its nearly time for Seafayre!...this Thursday, in association with @MCBSeafoods
Full menu here: https://t.co/40PN5KQghv pic.twitter.com/AqILYhT3pm

— The Independent (@independentbtn) April 17, 2018

Morrisons #PieGate

For any aspiring journalist wondering if they can affect real change... pic.twitter.com/evdOsJlLWs

— Chris Rickett (@chrisrickett) April 16, 2018

The Ivy Is Coming To Brighton

The Ivy will open in Ship Street Brighton on May 2nd.

It will be known as The Ivy in The Lanes.

"The Ivy in the Lanes will offer a selection of all-encompassing menus, serving breakfast, weekend brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, light snacks, bespoke cocktails and dinner."

What's Killing Restaurants?

What’s killing restaurants?

1. Mismanagement
2. Egos
3. Stupid high rents
4. Crazy rates increases
5. Too many other restaurants
6. Over expansion
7. Ridiculous levels of staff turnover
8. Deliveroo/Uber Eats
9. Generational change
10. Weak business model

23. No shows.

— Jonathan Downey (@DowneyJD) March 20, 2018

This thread makes interesting reading.

National Butchers' Week

It's National Butchers' Week.

Support your local butcher, as I do!

British Pie Week - The Scottish Breakfast Pie

In honour of British Pie Week we bring you an exclusive insight into the making of the Scottish Breakfast Pie pic.twitter.com/tImCu4G0Sc

— The Daily Record (@Daily_Record) March 7, 2018

Brighton's Big Cheese Festival Bombs Again!

#ChickenGate - KFC Apologises

KFC Crisis Continues

Everyone at KFC right now #KFCcrisis pic.twitter.com/Ar1Po0ggFP

— Gladstone (@TreasuryMog) February 19, 2018

It appears that the new distribution centre at Rugby is to blame for the KFC crisis, apparently drivers are having to wait for hours to access the site and chicken is being wasted.

It seems that the depot simply isn't yet ready for KFC.

As can be seen from the above photo, the crisis has caused panic in the streets.

DHL Cock Up Forces KFC To Shut Most of Its UK Outlets

Having changed its logistics partner to DHL over the weekend, KFC has been forced to close the majority of its 900 outlets in Britain.

Seemingly DHL have yet to master the art of delivering chicken in the UK.

Switzerland Bans Chefs From Being Awake When Boiling Lobsters

henceforth, the chefs must be asleep https://t.co/WM2NlKlQVE

— Katie Martin (@katie_martin_fx) February 19, 2018

English's of Brighton - Special Offer To New Diners

Not dined with us before? You can claim a free bottle of house wine (one bottle per couple) when you do. Go here to book - offer not available on Valentine's Day https://t.co/6FeqrtyPK4 pic.twitter.com/OuxBdlwCQB

— English’s of Brighton (@EnglishsoB) January 28, 2018

I commend English's; great food, service and ambience!