|
A specially curated guide to help you enjoy the next 48 hours in Bath
|
|
|
|
|
LAUNCH NIGHT | STRICTLY ON THE BILL
|
|
|
|
| Strictly Come Dancing is back |
|
|
|
|
Strictly is flouncing back a little later this year with its characteristic frills, tassles and sparkles – with all dancers forming a social bubble, now the norm for collaborative shows. This Saturday sees the launch show where the dancers are introduced to their professional pairings. We're on the lookout for our Bill – aka comedian, musician and actor Bill Bailey – who (we have discovered on the grapevine) had ballroom dancing lessons as a young man. Will this make him a fab dancer? Let's keep a close eye, starting this Saturday at 7.50pm on BBC1. The other celeb dancers are Caroline Quentin, Clara Amfo, HRVY, Jacqui Smith, Jamie Laing, Jason Bell, JJ Chalmers, Maisie Smith, Max George, Nicola Adams and Ranvir Singh. We can hear the opening titles and music already...
|
|
|
|
|
WEEKEND WINES | CALIFORNIAN VARIETY
|
|
|
|
|
California’s Sonoma County offers up a world of diversity in wine, stretching from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the Mayacamas Mountains in the east. This wonderful region certainly has something on offer for everyone. The coastal areas are genuinely cool-climate, blanketed by Pacific fogs, enabling elegant varietals like Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley to ripen to perfection. Further inland, it’s warm enough to ripen sumptuous Zinfandel and fine Cabernet Sauvignon to rival the best from Bordeaux. Our Spotlight on Sonoma offer gives you the chance to sample and stock up at sensational prices. Make sure you mix at least a dozen to save up to 40% including case discount.
The Great Wine Co.
|
|
|
|
|
WEEKEND RECIPE | HOME COMFORTS
|
|
|
|
|
Recipe by Melissa Blease
Recipes for Chicken Chasseur are usually found deep in the 'retro' file alongside similarly long since forgotten fave raves such as Prawn Cocktail, Chicken Kiev and Beef Stroganoff. But in our constant search for shock of the new shake-ups, we're in danger of overlooking the very best tried-and-tested crowd pleasers – of which this French bistro classic is leader of the pack.
Decadently saucy and packed with rich autumnal flavours, Chicken Chasseur is best served with a pile of silky mash, a tumble of buttered green beans... and Manhattan Transfer's 1977 chart-topping hit Chanson D'Amour playing on repeat.
Ingredients (serves 4)
4 skinless chicken legs or 8 skinless chicken thighs, bone in
200g button mushrooms, preferably chestnut
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
225ml red wine (preferably French)
2 tbs tomato purée
2-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
500ml chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil and butter, for frying
Method
- Heat a glug of olive oil and a knob of butter in a large, lidded casserole dish. Lightly season the chicken pieces and fry for around five minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- Melt a bit more butter in the casserole dish. Soften the chopped onion over a medium heat before adding the mushrooms. Continue to fry the onion and mushrooms gently for a further three minutes before adding the garlic and continuing to sauté until fragrant (around two minutes).
- Pour the red wine into the pan, stir in the tomato purée and allow to bubble and reduce for around five minutes.
- Add the thyme, chicken stock, plenty of freshly ground black pepper and chicken pieces to the sauce. Bring to boil then turn the heat down right down before covering and allowing to simmer gently for around an hour until the chicken is very tender and falling off the bone... at which point your kitchen will be filled with the most divine, garlic/wine/thyme aroma.
- Remove the chicken pieces from the pan and keep warm. Boil the sauce rapidly until the mixture has reduced to a rich, syrupy gravy (around three minutes). Put the chicken pieces back in the pan and heat through thoroughly heat before serving.
Food match…
This week we would match Chicken Chasseur with our Pigmentum Malbec by producer Georges Vigouroux, a wonderful grippy French Malbec from the south west region of Cahors. Beneath a bouquet of summer flowers, a rich red Malbec emits flavours of raspberry, blackcurrant and blackberry, held together by firm, defined tannins. A perfect autumnal match.
The Great Wine Co.
|
|
|
|
|
FOODIE DELIGHTS | THE BEST STEAKS IN TOWN
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Hudson Steakhouse |
|
|
The award-winning grand boeuf of the Bath steakhouse scene, offering cocktails and chandeliers at street level, an open kitchen, open fire and park views in the first floor dining room... and well-sourced, dry aged prime beef on the menu, including the celebrated (and massive!) Double Sirloin Porterhouse. Dine early (Tuesday-Thursday, 5-7pm) and bag an 8oz prime centre-cut rump, Béarnaise sauce, fries and a glass of wine for just £18.95
hudsonsteakhouse.co.uk
|
|
|
| The Herd |
|
|
Intimate, subterranean contemporary bistro – think, whitewashed stone walls, chunky furniture, quirky artwork, sparkly lighting – specialising in top-notch, impeccably sourced steak feasts to suit all carnivorous tastes and appetites. Spoiled for choice? Opt for the steak Sharing Platter for two, which brings ribeye, sirloin and fillet together in perfect harmony and takes the concept of a sublime steak-out for two to another level altogether for just £49.95
theherdrestaurant.co.uk
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Joya Italian Steakhouse |
|
|
Choose your locally sourced, 28-day matured steak, select a bespoke infused butter to laminate, sauce for dipping and salt to season... then have it served on a hot volcanic stone to finish to your liking at your table in a cheerfully chic trattoria environment. Mamma Mia! What's not to love? Meanwhile, antipasti, spaghetti, homemade meatballs et al completes the New York Little Italy vibe, right here in Bath.
joyarestaurant.co.uk
|
|
|
| Miller and Carter |
|
|
Your steak, your way, from an 8oz sirloin to the massive Long Bone Tomahawk sharer served in a beautifully-refurbished listed building on the Milsom Street/George Street crossroad. Sides including the onion loaf and dressed lettuce wedges (which both come as standard with the steaks), crayfish thermidor/pulled beef barbacoa mac'n'cheese, halloumi fries and baked Cheddar mushrooms are almost as equally spotlight worthy as the meaty main event.
millerandcarter.co.uk
|
|
|
|
|
|
RESTAURANT REVIEW | THE ELDER
|
|
|
|
| By Melissa Blease |
|
| The Elder Restaurant at the Indigo Hotel |
|
|
|
|
We've been waiting for the opening of the Indigo Hotel – a handsome pleasure palace that brings 166 luxurious boutique hotel rooms and a stylishly quirky restaurant and bar together under one impeccably refurbished row of Georgian townhouses on South Parade – with bated breath. We can now breathe a collective sigh of relief as not only does the Indigo live up to its promise of dignified glamour, but the hotel's Elder restaurant and bar adds a brand new, exciting dimension to Bath's eating and drinking scene.
The supremely elegant Elder (think refined contemporary gentlemen's club vibe infused with fashionable finesse) was conceptualised by wild food and game afficionado Mike Robinson, who works in close collaboration with Head Chef Gavin Edney to curate menus that showcase the very, very best locally sourced, seasonal, sustainable produce. Game is at the top of the Elder menu game (Berkshire hare faggots, Bathurst Estate fallow deer and red-legged Wiltshire partridge are the current right here, right now attention-grabbers) but a neat array of classic steak, fresh fish and vegetarian options and a straightforward pricing policy (2/3 courses from £27.50/£35) make the Elder an accessible experience for all, in uniquely sumptuous, seductively inviting surroundings that make dining in Bath's newest kid on the restaurant block feel as convivially congenial as a reunion with an old friend.
theelder.co.uk
|
|
|
|
|
THAT FESTIVE FEELING | COCKTAIL MASTERCLASS
|
|
|
|
|
We have a little autumn twist to one of our favourite classic gin drinks The Bees Knees. We have used our autumn gin Magwayen, which we distil using pineapple, woods and spices. We have added a splash of nutty amontillado sherry to make the drink deeper and richer, to combat the colder weather.
50ml Magwayen gin
10ml amontillado sherry
20ml fresh lemon juice
15ml honey syrup
Shake it all over ice, strain and serve.
(If you don't have a cocktail shaker, you can cheat and use a old jam jar like we did)
Recipe by Psychopomp Microdistillery
Photo by Jo Ritchie @ joritchiephoto
microdistillery.co.uk
|
|
|
|
|
IN THE KITCHEN | DISCOVER
|
|
|
|
|
What are they?
Neat little plum-like stone fruit often with a vibrant, dark blue- or purple-tinged skin, at their seasonal best right now... but due to disappear shortly.
What do they taste like?
Similar to plums but with a much tarter, slightly sour edge.
Added bonus:
Damsons are packed with vitamins A, B (1, 2, 3, 5 and 6), C, E and K plus digestive-boosting dietary fibre and minerals including iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc.
How should I use them?
Damsons tend not to be naturally sweet, which makes them more suitable for cooking with sugar rather than eating raw. They're delicious in autumnal desserts such as crumbles and make perfect jam or savoury chutney, best paired with strong Cheddar cheese... and a shot of damson liqueur.
Where can I buy them?
Bath Farmers' Market, Green Park Station; Eades Greengrocers (Crescent Lane); Super Stokes (Moorland Road); Larkhall Farm Shop (St Saviours Road).
Alternative: Try Plum
Looking for a damson recipe to use up a glut of fruit? This late summer fruit is great in many recipes: stirred into a fool, stewed to make jam or slow-cooked into a sauce to serve with meat. Damsons are blue-black fruit that look like small plums. Wild varieties are extremely tart, and so are best relegated to the jam jar. An old English recipe using damsons is damson 'cheese', which is a rich confection of fruit, potted and aged before eating.
Modern cultivated damsons (such as the Merryweather variety) can be eaten raw when ripe, although there is about as much stone as there is flesh. In general, they're best cooked, which brings out their sweet, spicy flavour. Many home-brewers are also eager to harvest the fruit to make damson 'wine' or damson gin.
|
|
|
|
|
OBJECT OF INTEREST | OMEGA SEAMASTER 300 STEEL
|
|
|
|
|
OMEGA first introduced the Seamaster 300 in 1957 – it was a watch designed especially for underwater divers. More than half a century later, the timepiece makes a welcome return in a completely upgraded and enhanced form, ready for a new generation of adventurers. This Seamaster 300 has a sand-blasted black dial with rhodium-plated hands coated with "vintage" Super-LumiNova. The polished ceramic bezel ring has a Liquidmetal™ diving scale. The 41 mm brushed and polished stainless steel case is presented on a matching bracelet. A transparent caseback makes it possible to see the anti-magnetic OMEGA Master Co-Axial calibre 8400 within.
mallory-jewellers
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NEW EXHIBITION | ST IVES MODERNISTS
|
|
|
|
| ...at David Simon Contemporary |
|
|
|
|
Featuring some of the most iconic names associated with the St Ives Movement, this exhibition showcases vibrant, original screenprints by Patrick Heron; rare works in glass and ceramics by Terry Frost; characteristic abstracted still life paintings by William Scott, works on paper by George Dannatt, Robert Adams and Tony O'Malley, sculpture by Denis Mitchell and Tommy Rowe and drawings by Christopher Wood.
These artists were contemporaries, several of whom formed great friendships with each other and were very important and influential members of the St Ives Art Colony. Connecting these names with the later part of the 20th century is a selection of paintings by the late Romi Behrens, who lived at Prussia Cove and had prominent exhibitions at the Newlyn Art Gallery and a number of London galleries during her lifetime. Behrens was also close friends with Heron and Frost. Moving in between figuration and abstraction this collection unites different explorations of coastal colour and Atlantic light that has attracted so many painters to this peninsula.
Running until 31 October; davidsimoncontemporary.com
|
|
|
|
|
THE KIOSK | MAGAZINE MOMENTS
|
|
|
|
|
Curated by Daniel McCabe – Magalleria
You can pick up a Racquet any time of year. A magazine about the art, style and culture of tennis, Racquet is published in New York by fans who grew up with the game’s boom years in the '70s and '80s. While it strives to restore the swagger of that era to modern tennis, the star feature of this issue is a rare surviving example of an indoor stické court (for an obsolete racquet game) that you’ll find at Hartham Park, the Georgian manor near Corsham.
£14; magalleria.co.uk
|
|
|
|
|
ON THE BOOKSHELF | KEEP READING
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Review by Saskia Hayward, Topping & Co. |
|
| Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake |
|
|
Entangled Life is Merlin Sheldrake’s magnificent ode to all things fungal. As only the best storytellers can, through Merlin’s enchanting prose this seemingly small and static world is unveiled as vast, animated, and full of life. Merlin’s joy is palpable as he writes of the profound strangeness of fungi and the challenge they pose to our own sense of self – breaching the limits of our own body, shifting our understanding of communication and interconnectedness. Fungi acts as a point of departure to contemplate infinities of scale and deep time: they can weave themselves between plant cells and yet make up the largest organism in existence. Merlin's language is embodied and sensory – the book opens with him digging deep under the roots of a tree, the smell a “spicy resinous kick when I scratched them with a fingernail.” The web he uncovers radically (and sometimes disturbingly) reveals how enmeshed our lives are with our mycorrhizal neighbours.
Bodley Head; £20
toppingbooks.co.uk
|
|
|
|
| Review by Matthew Leigh, Topping & Co. |
|
| Who They Was by Gabriel Krauze |
|
|
One of the most exciting novels I have read for a long time, Who They Was is a tributary flowing from one sphere of reality to another. London’s marginalised world of poverty, bravado and violence is rendered with what feels like miraculous authenticity, ever-heavy with the full weight of humanity. Self-aware without being indulgently self-analytical, Gabriel Krauze’s dialect-infused prose resonates with vibrant and discomforting sensory detail. Lyrical and rhythmic, elegant and brutal, this book feels like a long missing puzzle piece from the landscape of literary fiction – unseen for so long that we failed to realise how incomplete our perception of the whole really is.
Fourth Estate; £14.99
toppingbooks.co.uk
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LONGLEAT NEWS | A-MAZING RESULTS
|
|
|
|
| Short back and sides for hedge maze |
|
|
|
|
A team of gardeners are close to completing one of the biggest jobs in horticulture; cutting the giant hedge maze at Longleat. Made up of more than 16,000 English yew trees, with 2.8kms of pathways and covering an area of 0.6 hectares, the Wiltshire maze is one of the largest in the world.
It takes a team of six gardeners around eight weeks to complete the clipping process. As the hedges are more than two metres tall, they use a mix of ladders and platforms to reach the top sections.
Head gardener Jules Curtis said, "It's got to be one of the biggest jobs in horticulture. We do two main cuts a year – one in the spring and one in the autumn. There’s a team of six of us and part of the reason it takes so long is we can only have access when the maze is closed to the visitors.
“At this time of year we tend to just neaten up the sides, which may have been damaged by the passage of visitors, as well as cut the top to make sure it’s a uniform height throughout,” he added.
The Maze was commissioned by the 7th Marquess of Bath, the late Viscount Weymouth, and designed by Greg Bright. It was laid out in 1975 and is planted entirely of English yew (Taxus baccata).
Although the performance of visitors accepting the challenge varies greatly, the standard time taken to complete the journey is between 15 minutes to an hour.
longleat.co.uk
|
|
|
|
|
ON THE BOX | COURTROOM DRAMAS
|
|
|
|
| The Trial of the Chicago 7 |
|
|
|
|
The film is based on the infamous 1969 trial of seven defendants charged by the federal government with conspiracy and more, arising from the countercultural protests in Chicago at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
From writer-director Aaron Sorkin, starring fellow Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne and Golden Globe winner Sacha Baron Cohen, the trial transfixed the nation and sparked a conversation about mayhem intended to undermine the U.S. government.
Released on Netflix today, watch the film here
|
|
|
|
|
WHAT'S ON | POPULAR EVENTS
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ENJOY |
|
|
Take a trip to Avon Valley's Pumpkin Patch and enjoy an evening of pumpkin picking, festival vibes, pop-up bars, firepits, street food, performers, and spectacular seasonal entertainment.
avonvalley.co.uk
|
|
|
| JOIN |
|
|
Children aged 6-18 years are invited to join the multi-award-winning Bath Theatre School for a free taster with action packed lessons in singing, dance and drama. Running every Saturday during term time at Oldfield Park Baptist Church.
baththeatreschool.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| SHOP |
|
|
Held on the third Sunday of each month, the Innox Market in Trowbridge offers a range of products, from handmade arts and crafts and vintage clothing to street food, fresh produce and West Country ale and cider. All against the backdrop of live music. Running from 9am-3pm.
facebook.com/InnoxMills
|
|
|
| WATCH |
|
|
Running as part of the Theatre Royal Bath's Welcome Back Season, theatre goers can now grab tickets for Betrayal by Harold Pinter. The show runs until 31 October. Book via Theatre Royal Bath's website and browse their latest programme.
theatreroyal.org.uk
|
|
|
|
|
| Bath Digital Festival |
|
|
Bath Digital Festival is happening! Get yourself ready for the biggest celebration of digital and tech in the South West. Running from 20–24 October, learn to code, join an interactive workshop on artificial intelligence, discuss the modern ethics, join a masterclass in social media marketing or check out the latest tech. Head to their website for the full programme.
bathdigitalfestival.co.uk
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE BIG SHOPPER | WHISTLES
|
|
|
|
|
Throughout October, Whistles will be launching their latest styles ready for A/W20. From tea dresses to sleeveless jumpsuits, from tailored blazers to faux-fur coats, Whistles has it all this month. Check out their new season trends and shop in store or online at whistles.com.
|
|
|
|
|
INTERIOR STYLE | GET COSY
|
|
|
|
| The Peta Traditional Column Radiator |
|
|
Prepare your home for the colder months ahead with House of Radiators' stylish column radiators. Available in a range of finishes, including Copper Lacquer, Black Nickel and Rose Gold, the Peta can be ordered in any RAL colour in a matt or gloss finish. Many sizes available, prices start from £100 and go up to £3,000.
houseofradiators.co.uk
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PROPERTY OF THE WEEK | NEW ON THE MARKET
|
|
|
|
| Southwinds Farm Oak Cottage, Woolverton, Bath |
|
|
|
|
A stunning newly built period style cottage with 3 double bedrooms set within this select development of six properties in Woolverton. The property, built to an exceptional specification by Ashford Homes, offers an unrivalled specification and exceptional quality throughout. On the ground floor there’s a sitting room, stunning kitchen study and cloakroom, and on the lower ground floor are the 3 double bedrooms, the master with en-suite and family bathroom. On the market at £525,000.
cobbfarr.com
|
|
|
|
|
Our October issue is available to read online
|
|
|
|
| Popular on our website this week: |
|
|
|
|
