I love seeing on my blog where people are from, and this month I can add some more places to my international readership - including Norway, Finland, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Sri Lanka and Ireland! Greetings to all and thank you to everyone for looking at my website and reading my blog! Hope to see you soon on some tours.
Thursday 27 October 2011
Monday 24 October 2011
Brighton's got the X-Factor!
I've had a busy few weeks, organising Christmas events plus tours. Many of my most recent tours have been down on the coast, including in Brighton - one of my favourite cosmopolitan cities. As the clocks are about to change this coming weekend, losing an hour of sleep, Saturday nights are now perfect to settle down in front of the T.V. and watch either Strictly Come Dancing or the X-Factor. Even more of a reason to watch the X-Factor is that one of the finalists, Frankie Cocozza (18), is in fact from Brighton, having gone to school at nearby Woodingdean. Yes, he is the contestant who has the name of 7 girls tattooed on his backside!! Only in Brighton you might say.
He has been feted as the new "cheeky chappy" of Brighton - the nickname once given to another famous music act of the early 20th Century, Max Miller, whose statue can be found gracing the Pavilion Gardens by the Dome Theatre complex.
Brighton certainly seems to have the X-Factor, since the presenter of the show, Dermot O'Leary, also owns a fish restaurant here. You can find out more about the site of the restaurant and some of the other famous people of Brighton, both past and present, such as Sir Laurence Olivier, Katie Price etc..., on a Brighton walking tour - contact me to book your tour.
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| Frankie Cocozza, X-Factor 2011 Contestant |
He has been feted as the new "cheeky chappy" of Brighton - the nickname once given to another famous music act of the early 20th Century, Max Miller, whose statue can be found gracing the Pavilion Gardens by the Dome Theatre complex.
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| The original "Cheeky Chappy", Max Miller |
Brighton certainly seems to have the X-Factor, since the presenter of the show, Dermot O'Leary, also owns a fish restaurant here. You can find out more about the site of the restaurant and some of the other famous people of Brighton, both past and present, such as Sir Laurence Olivier, Katie Price etc..., on a Brighton walking tour - contact me to book your tour.
Sunday 9 October 2011
Local cheese, oysters and cider vinegar - it can only be Kent Crisps!
I have been meaning for a while now to write a piece about a fabulous company who have only been running since March this year - Kent Crisps (or chips as some of you readers may know what we British call "crisps"!). The reason why? Well, I wanted to do a beer and crisp tasting experiment and last month I managed to achieve this at a local beer festival.
A little background first about Kent Crisps - they are based at Quex Park in Birchington, on the East Coast of Kent, and the grounds are not only home to the crisp makers, but a Victorian house and The Powell-Cotton Museum which can be visited.
Why am I singing the praises of Kent crisps? Well, not only are they a friendly team and a local company; but they have ingenious flavours that use local produce as ingredients. No artificial flavourings, colourings or preservatives and 100% GM Free is an added bonus of these crunchy delights.
Made from Kent potatoes, they have sourced flavours to reflect the region - so you have the classic Sea Salt crisps - the flavour dances on your tongue when you break through the crusty nuggets of salt; then there is Cider Vinegar and Sea Salt crisps - with a moreish taste that is created by the use of Biddenden cider vinegar; next are the Oyster and Vinegar flavour - a favourite with many of Kent Crisps' lovers, and subtle in flavour; and finally my favourite, and winner of a Gold Award at The Great Taste Awards 2011, the Ashmore Cheese and Onion, with a lovely strong kick. Something for everyone.
The oysters are sourced as locally as possible, the cheese comes from a Canterbury producer who uses traditional 19th Century presses and let their cheeses mature for 5 months at least; and the orchards at Biddenden, the oldest trading vineyard in Kent (since 1969), supply the cider vinegar - a mix of culinary and dessert apples.
Now, the crisps are lovely just on their own, but even better washed down with a pint of local beer, as well as perfect an accompaniment to a traditional Ploughman's - a slab of cheese, a slice of pork pie, pickles and a crisp tasty apple. If you wonder what beer would go with these crisps, then hopefully I will be able to give you a general guide, as well as recommend a few examples.
Sea Salt Crisps: These would work well with a malty beer or perhaps one that is a bit fruity - perhaps something like Royal Tunbridge Wells Brewery's "Royal". A best bitter that has a lovely malty undertone to it.
Sea Salt and Biddenden Cider Vinegar: A malty beer would lose its flavour against the vinegar so a Golden Beer would be better with these crisps, for example Westerham's "Summer Perle Golden Ale".
Oyster and Vinegar Crisps: These crisps need some hoppiness in the beer to cut through the vinegar and the seafood flavour. A Pale Ale, Bitter, or hoppy IPA may be just the ticket, and I can't think of a better way to combine local oysters with Shepherd Neame's "Whitstable Bay, Organic Ale".
Ashmore Cheese and Onion Crisps: For something as strong as a mature cheese, a porter or stout would hold up against the flavour. Tonbridge Brewery do a fine pint of "Ebony Moon" that would match nicely.
Of course there are many many local breweries and beers that would go fantastically with these crisps, I have just merely offered a few recommendations. Do have a look at: www.camrawestkent.org.uk/breweries-in-kent/ for details of breweries here in the county.
For more information about Kent Crisps, and also find a store supplying them near you, their website is: www.kentcrisps.com
I hope to have time to do more foodie blogs in amongst my tour and historical ones, so do let me know if there is a particular South Eastern food that you think I should be trying.
A little background first about Kent Crisps - they are based at Quex Park in Birchington, on the East Coast of Kent, and the grounds are not only home to the crisp makers, but a Victorian house and The Powell-Cotton Museum which can be visited.
Why am I singing the praises of Kent crisps? Well, not only are they a friendly team and a local company; but they have ingenious flavours that use local produce as ingredients. No artificial flavourings, colourings or preservatives and 100% GM Free is an added bonus of these crunchy delights.
Made from Kent potatoes, they have sourced flavours to reflect the region - so you have the classic Sea Salt crisps - the flavour dances on your tongue when you break through the crusty nuggets of salt; then there is Cider Vinegar and Sea Salt crisps - with a moreish taste that is created by the use of Biddenden cider vinegar; next are the Oyster and Vinegar flavour - a favourite with many of Kent Crisps' lovers, and subtle in flavour; and finally my favourite, and winner of a Gold Award at The Great Taste Awards 2011, the Ashmore Cheese and Onion, with a lovely strong kick. Something for everyone.
The oysters are sourced as locally as possible, the cheese comes from a Canterbury producer who uses traditional 19th Century presses and let their cheeses mature for 5 months at least; and the orchards at Biddenden, the oldest trading vineyard in Kent (since 1969), supply the cider vinegar - a mix of culinary and dessert apples.
Now, the crisps are lovely just on their own, but even better washed down with a pint of local beer, as well as perfect an accompaniment to a traditional Ploughman's - a slab of cheese, a slice of pork pie, pickles and a crisp tasty apple. If you wonder what beer would go with these crisps, then hopefully I will be able to give you a general guide, as well as recommend a few examples.
Sea Salt Crisps: These would work well with a malty beer or perhaps one that is a bit fruity - perhaps something like Royal Tunbridge Wells Brewery's "Royal". A best bitter that has a lovely malty undertone to it.
Sea Salt and Biddenden Cider Vinegar: A malty beer would lose its flavour against the vinegar so a Golden Beer would be better with these crisps, for example Westerham's "Summer Perle Golden Ale".
Oyster and Vinegar Crisps: These crisps need some hoppiness in the beer to cut through the vinegar and the seafood flavour. A Pale Ale, Bitter, or hoppy IPA may be just the ticket, and I can't think of a better way to combine local oysters with Shepherd Neame's "Whitstable Bay, Organic Ale".
Ashmore Cheese and Onion Crisps: For something as strong as a mature cheese, a porter or stout would hold up against the flavour. Tonbridge Brewery do a fine pint of "Ebony Moon" that would match nicely.
Of course there are many many local breweries and beers that would go fantastically with these crisps, I have just merely offered a few recommendations. Do have a look at: www.camrawestkent.org.uk/breweries-in-kent/ for details of breweries here in the county.
For more information about Kent Crisps, and also find a store supplying them near you, their website is: www.kentcrisps.com
I hope to have time to do more foodie blogs in amongst my tour and historical ones, so do let me know if there is a particular South Eastern food that you think I should be trying.
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