Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label summer. Show all posts
With floor to ceiling windows and large wooden furniture the open room is ideal for lunches or intimate dinners. On this occasion I chose to visit for Afternoon Tea and see what they had to offer.
Afternoon Tea at The Larder on Goosegate is £14.95 per person and includes a pot of your choice of loose leaf tea served in a china teapot with a china teacup. I chose the Earl Grey with Cornflowers and this was subtle but pleasant to go with the sweet and savoury items. Included on the stand is a selection of homemade sandwiches and cakes. Each person receives an Egg, Cress and Mayonnaise sandwich, a Red Onion Chutney and Cheese sandwich, a Beef and Horseradish sandwich and a Cucumber and Creme Fraiche sandwich. The finger sized crustless sandwiches were delicious and a much welcomed change to the usual ham and mustard.
The middle tier featured Shortcake with Cream and Fresh Strawberries, Elderflower Pound Cake, Treacle Sponge and a Black Forest Gateaux Cupcake. The shortcake also had condensed cream on the top and incorporated in the middle which made this very sweet but delicious, the elderflower cake was lacking in flavouring and a little dry but the treacle sponge was moist and flavoursome. Finally, the black forest cupcake was a moist chocolate cupcake topped with cream, chocolate shavings and a black cherry, in the centre was a cherry jam. This was delicious and a large cake for an afternoon tea selection however the paper case did make it feel a little more cheap (sorry!).
I definitely enjoyed the Afternoon Tea at The Larder on Goosegate and would recommend it for anyone visiting Nottingham. They offer a wonderful range of homemade items and you can tell from the high quality that these are not store bought cakes. The wide range of tea is also a wonderful for those who want to try something different or who may be new to loose leaf teas. I am hoping to also return one evening to try their evening menu and wine selection.
Let me know if you have ever been to The Larder on Goosegate or have anywhere you would like me to visit on The Afternoon Tea Tour! xx
The Larder on Goosegate 1st Floor, 16-22 Goosegate NG1 1FE Tel: (0115) 9500 111
Twitter: LarderGoosegate
As the weather gets better we all want to sit outside with a cold drink and enjoy the sun whilst eating good food, right? Well, the sun came out and that's exactly what I wanted to do. After thinking about where to go I thought we should try somewhere new in the city centre and visit Jam Cafe in the Hockley district of Nottingham.
Perfectly situated on a sunny Heathcote Street but away from the hustle and bustle of the main shopping areas, Jam Cafe is a music themed eatery with an outside seating area - perfect for enjoying the sunshine. During the day you can enjoy a main meal and a drink then come back later on in the evening to enjoy live music, up-and-coming Dj's and local ales.
If you are ever there I would really recommend you stopping and have a nibble and a drink whilst talking to the friendly owner, Bradley, and his employees. This is really a hidden gem in the Hockley area of Nottingham!
If you like Gin then stop by between 14th August and 30th August to enjoy their Gin Festival 2015.
Jam Cafe 12 Heathcote Street NG1 3AA Tel: (0115) 9483566
Twitter: Jamcafe
A few weeks ago I got in touch with The Treat Kitchen to learn more about who they are and what they do. After emailing backwards and forwards with Jodie, the Marketing Assistant, she invited me to the store to take some pictures and pick up some gifts to feature on the blog and tell you all what I thought!
If you have been into the city centre of Nottingham you will probably have walked past The Treat Kitchen, it is hard to miss and shame on you if you haven't been in or at least stopped in awe at the colourful displays of tastey treats in the windows. The Treat Kitchen is an independent sweet shop which opened in September 2014 after the owners, Jess and Martin Barnett, returned from living in Australia for 3 years following the birth of their son Max. Whilst in Australia Martin worked for the countries largest retail group as confectionary buyer and Jess worked for RMIT University. The Barnett family have two confectionary factories in Nottingham and are passionate about using traditional methods of production such as copper pans and hand crafting sweets using their original recipes.
As a love for sweet treats has been in the family since the 1890's, Martin and Jess felt that there was a gap in the market for a sweet shop selling high quality goods in a modern and attractive setting. If you think of the usual old fashioned sweet shop you picture a wooden looking room full of plastic containers and a man or woman at a till waiting to weigh them out and put them in a paper bag, right? Well, that is the complete opposite of this sweet shop! The Treat Kitchen has huge glass windows, pastel and light wood decor and beautifully displayed jars and pouches of colourful sweets. The walls are white and the shelves are white and this really does make the products stand out! Jess and Martin also wanted to be resourceful and help the environment at the same time as providing amazing treats - this is why all of their products come in pouches, jars and glass milk bottles so when you have finished eating the delicious contents you can reuse the packaging for whatever you like, a pen pot or a makeup brush jar or even for smoothies?! We have all seen the amazing Pinterest boards with re-used glass bottles and jars.
Now you may be thinking that the sweets aren't any different to what you find in your local Sainsbury's? You are mistaken! Every single sweet has been chosen to reflect the enchanting world of confectionary and the theatre that goes along with it. Supporting other local businesses The Treat Kitchen have traditional sweets with a twist. The hard boiled sweets and rock (including Nottingham Rock) is made at the Barnett families factory and all of the Gourmet Fudge is made in-store and comes in a mouthwatering variety of flavours. Fancy some chocolate? Well then why not try the locally made Gourmet Chocolate Pizza's made with the finest Belgian milk, dark and white chocolate? Or how about some hard boiled sweets resembling family favourites by Tilleys Sweets...Lemon Meringue Pie flavour or Banoffee Pie anyone? Making the windows and shelves colourful is made easy by the 36 different flavours of Jelly Beans available in pouches and bottles all with one flavour in - no more half eaten bags as you will like all of the Jelly Beans you buy! Finally, if you don't want to be completely unhealthy or have to watch your sugar intake The Treat Kitchen also stock Stockley's Sugar Free goods which use naturally occurring sugars so there is no compromise on taste! With 300 varieties of different treats you could easily spend all day filling you arms with months, ok weeks, of sweets for you and your family.
I was lucky enough to be given a sample of a few different products they stock including some traditional favourites. I am a big fan of Jelly Beans and as The Treat Kitchen supply The Jelly Bean Factory ones I knew they were going to be good. Raspberry Jam and Cinnamon (my ALL TIME favourite) were in my bag of goodies and they both were so good. I was also lucky to be able to try the Barnett family's Nottingham Rock which although tastey was lacking a little something, with a slight citrus sweet taste I had to keep reminding myself I was eating rock and not a plain hard boiled sweet. The Treat Kitchen have recently launched a range of Radioactive Sours - a delicious hard boiled sweet covered in malic acid which really makes you squirm for about 30 seconds. After the sour taste has gone you are left with a delightful sweet underneath - I received the Watermelon flavour and they were amazing! Sweetshop classics cannot be forgotten even in a modern environment therefore you are still able to buy your pink shrimps, fizzy cola bottles, chewy milk bottles, torpedo's or even aniseed balls. I got a pouch of foam bananas and although I am not a big fan of banana they really were delicious.
Finally, the big ending to this delicious roller coaster ride is the Gourmet Fudge! The Treat Kitchen have 30 flavours in their collection but rotate 12 flavours at a time on their amazing display which is right in front of you as you enter the store - it seriously grabs your attention before anything else. A small taster of Salted Caramel and Raspberry and White Chocolate was in my bag of treats and they were so creamy and moreish that I was disappointed when I had eaten them. The Salted Caramel was creamy but lacking salt however, the Raspberry and White Chocolate flavour was amazing it was the softest fudge I have eaten and truly tasted like I was eating chocolate not a bar of fudge.
Everything in The Treat Kitchen has been thought about down to the last detail and they even do themed ranges for holidays such as Father's Day and Valentines Day. A range of Strawberries and Cream flavoured goods were also on display for Wimbledon!
Thank you to everyone at The Treat Kitchen for gifting me with the lovely sweets - I will definitely be back!
For all of my readers you can get 10% off your online orders when you type in the promotional code 'ELLIE10' at the checkout.
This cannot be used instore but don't worry you will not miss out as the fudge cannot be purchased online so you get the added treat of being able to buy this in person rather than have it delivered.
The Treat Kitchen, 21-23 Wheeler Gate NG1 2NA Tel: (0115) 941 1661
Twitter: TreatKitchen
The Treat Kitchen, 21-23 Wheeler Gate NG1 2NA Tel: (0115) 941 1661
Twitter: TreatKitchen
I received gifts from The Treat Kitchen for review purposes however all views are my own
It was my birthday at the beginning of June and I thought what better way to spend it then to go to a luxury hotel for the night and have dinner?! I love, love, love hotels (who doesn't) and having recently finished University I felt that a little break was just what I needed.
Hambleton Hall is owned by Mr & Mrs Hart who also have the Hambleton Bakery's, Hart's Hotel and Hart's Restaurant in their collection. If you have been to London you may have visited their restaurants ran by Sam and Eddy, their sons, Quo Vadis, Fino (now closed) and Barrafina. Located by Rutland Waters it is easy to get to via train or car from everywhere and only took us an hour via two trains from Nottingham. Originally opening in the 1980's Hambleton Hall is a large country house hotel featuring 15 bedrooms, a restaurant, bar, drawing room and heated outdoor swimming pool. With beautiful grounds and next to the quaint town of Oakham it is a lovely retreat away form the hustle and bustle of busy cities.
After arriving at the hotel and checking in to our room we decided to take a stroll down by the lake and walk alongside the sheep and lambs whilst the weather was being nice to us (this didn't last though and we managed to be on the way back to the hotel with umbrella in hand when the heavens opened!). Time to dry off and have a tea and coffee in the drawing room; as this isn't supplied in the rooms. Personally I really liked this as it encouraged us to see more of the hotel and be in the company of other guests rather than hidden away in our room...although it was so nice that this wouldn't have been a problem at all. Loose leaf tea and a cafettiere of coffee with some homemade biscuits really was added luxury instead of a tea bag and instant coffee, the small things really do make a difference.
Time to head back to the room and really take a look around and get the camera out. We had a Standard Room on the top floor which was the Treetops room - named so because of the view of the trees across from the entrance of the hotel. Each room is individually decorated and named according to it's view and each has a large bedroom and bathroom to go with. I didn't see any of the other rooms but to say ours was a Standard room it was much better than any other Standard room I had been in. The bedroom was large and had a small hallway in-between that and the bathroom. In the wardrobe was a walking pack with maps and granola bars and instructions of where to find the wellingtons to wear for walks around the countryside. The bathrooms was the biggest I have had the privilege of using in hotels with a large bath and separate walk in shower there was probably room to dance in there and two people to actually get ready at the same time. The walls in the bedroom were covered in high quality fabric and the bathroom floor was marble - pure luxury.
We changed for dinner and headed to the bar for a pre-dinner drink and canapés before being shown to our seat. I had a Bramble Cocktail and the canapés included a parmesan windmill and a beetroot macaron with goats cheese. The Sommelier had also introduced himself after our order was taken to recommend a bottle of wine to go with the dishes we had chosen, given the choice of two we decided with a very nice French red.
Starters were served and we were blown away with the Michelin Star quality of food in front of us. I went with the Seared Scallops served with Lapsang Tea Puree and Escabeche. The Scallops were cooked to perfection and the puree provided a slight smokey and flavoursome accompaniment which went beautifully with the light flavours of the Scallops.
For the Main Course I chose the Roast Goosnargh Duck served with Cucumber, Plums and Black Beans. The Duck was, again, cooked to perfection and the sweet plums with black beans and cucumber made the meat taste divine. The portions were not huge but with the amount of flavour we received we were both quite full after our Main Courses and had to hold off dessert for thirty minutes. We decided to try something that sounded light and fruity after our previous courses so we both chose English Strawberries with Champagne Jelly, Sorbet and Pistachios. It arrived on what could only be described as an Oyster dish with amazing flare and attention from every other table. We still managed to devour this and we were then ready to head back to our room to relax. The wine suggested was beautiful and paired well with each course.
We arrived back to our room to find that the turn down service was one better than any other. Our clothes that we had wore during the day and thrown on the bed were folded and put in the wardrobe, our phones were on each side of the bed and everything had been picked up off the floor and put neatly on the side. Some people may find this intrusive however we appreciated the extra touches and were surprised at the effort taken for a service that can easily be forgotten about.
After an amazing night sleep in the huge bed we were in it was time to order breakfast to the room. As Hambleton Hall is part of the collection with the Hambleton Bakeries all of their breads and cakes are made fresh and delivered from the bakery just nearby. All produce is also sourced locally and the quality shows in the taste. I ordered some Loose Leaf Tea, a Tea Cake, a Manchet, Grapefruit Juice and Eggs Benedict. Everything was amazing and I was very satisfied with not a bite-full left on the plate. Time to relax in the large bath and get ready to go home we were very disappointed to not be enjoying another night of luxury.
We very much enjoyed our stay, the staff and food were amazing and we couldn't fault anything about Hambleton Hall - hopefully we will return again one day! Let me know what your favourite hotels are in the comments below!
Hambleton Hall, Hambleton, Oakham, Rutland LE15 8TH Tel: 01572 756 991
Twitter: Hambleton Hall Hotel
Dinner, Bed and Breakfast was a complimentary gift however all opinions are my own.
I was on a Twitter chat around a month or two ago when it became apparent that there are quite a few of us East Midlands based bloggers. This chat seemed to be full of us and it sparked an idea to create a Facebook page and Twitter profile for us all to chat together (the credit goes to Dee who set both of these up!). The conversations quickly grew and the first East Midlands Blogger Meet Up was born!
At this meet up we had myself, Emmie, Rachael, Hannah, Kirsty, Samantha and Chelsea (all of their lovely blogs are linked!). We decided to meet at the Nottingham Castle for a picnic and exploration of the gardens and museum as a way to break the ice. We didn't need to worry at all though because as soon as we met at the Train Station we were chatting and discussing our favourite bloggers and YouTubers and who we would (and wouldn't) like to meet.
We each brought something for the picnic and ended up with a giant feast which we couldn't finish, there was a mixture of homemade cakes and sandwiches, sushi and cocktail sausages and jam tarts and strawberries. After the picnic had finished and we had stopped laughing at the awkward engagement shoot that was happening next to us, we packed up and took a stroll around the grounds for pictures and to see the sights. This was a great way to show the city to the girls who hadn't visited Nottingham before and for me to show off the gorgeous views you get from behind The Castle and over The Park Estate.
After all the wondering and chatting we were in need of a drink so decided to visit The Castle Pub for a cheeky tipple before each going our own ways. This also was a way to get to know each other as you can tell a lot from the drink someone chooses at 2 O'Clock in the afternoon!
This was a great first meet up with the girls and fellow bloggers and I look forward to the next one!
If you want to join in or contribute to the next meet up in Leicester on the 4th July follow @EMidBloggers and use the hashtag #eastmidsmeetup on Twitter, join the Facebook Group or email me at elliekathleen01@gmail.com
I know, I know it has been a while but I thought why not come back to blogging with an introduction to my new blog series, Afternoon Tea Tour! My friend and I have been wanting to try loads of afternoon tea delights lately and thought what better way than to blog about them as a tour....with tea and cake!
First up on the tour is Hart's Hotel, an independent hotel bordering the City Centre of Nottingham and The Park Estate. This hotel is still relatively new and was only built around 12-13 years ago which was years after the Hart's Restaurant opened in the old General Hospital on the same site. The restaurant is fine dining but Hart's host their afternoon tea in the Park Bar over in the hotel and it is served between 12pm and 6pm everyday. With the selection changing according to the seasons and Summer just around the corner we thought what better way to start our afternoon tea tour than with new Spring/Summer offerings.
Hart's serve their selection on a three tier stand, specifically designed for two people, that is full on each layer with delicious food. On the bottom layer we had two savoury Cheese and Spring Onion Scones, two Ham and Mustard Sandwhiches, two Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Sandwhiches and two Cucumber Sandwhiches, finger size of course.
I almost forgot to mention that Hart's have a sister bakery named Hambleton Bakery who supply them with fresh baked bread and delicious cakes everyday, the scones for the afternoon tea are baked fresh everyday and the tea has unlimited refills - everything really is fresh and delicious. On sunny days they also serve lunch and afternoon tea in their courtyard and it can be ordered with Prosecco or Champagne for those special occasions!
The second tier of the stand had two Lemon Tarts, two Chocolate Brownies, two Tea Cakes, two Macarons and two Mini-Eton Mess Desserts. The lemon tarts were just lemon enough, the chocolate brownies had a gorgeous coffee note and the Eton Mess desserts were just enough to not feel guilty about afterwards!
Oh wow, finally the third tier - each tier gets a little smaller which is perfect for a mid-afternoon treat too. The last tier had two more Macarons, two Sweet Scones and some fresh berries. On the table was Jam, Butter and Clotted Cream so we could be as decadent as we wanted to be and with a wide range of teas on offer we could easily have sat there until dinner time.
We really enjoyed our afternoon and can't wait to continue the tour! Thank you to all the staff at Hart's! Let me know if there is anywhere you suggest I visit on the Afternoon Tea Tour xx
Afternoon Tea is £21.95 per person however we were treated to 20% off.
Ever since SS14 came around the corner I have been loving all things colourful and bright. I am also a sucker for anything floral so flowers and bright colours are always in my basket when I am shopping, whether that be in-store or online. Here I am sharing my colourful trousers and debuting the first pictures of myself on my blog!
The navy blue pair are so comfortable they could be pyjamas! They are a denim - slash - trouser material and can be worn with everything. The floral print trousers are a thicker trouser material with a kind of "smudged" print. Finally, the cobalt blue trousers are your typical work trouser material. FYI if you are going to buy these ones then I advise sewing, or getting someone who knows how to sew, over the stitching of the crotch. The seams are loose on two pairs of these I have tried and no one wants to end up walking around in ripped trousers. Both the floral print and cobalt blue trousers are also a perfect length for me and I am only 5ft 2in, so if you are taller (or average height) they may be cropped.
Unfortunately I can't find the Zara ones now the sales have started but I have linked similar some similar.
Let me know if you have been getting more colourful this summertime or if you are as addicted to floral as I am xx
After living in dark jumpers, jeans and chelsea boots I have invested in some colourful clothes for the Spring and Summer. Excuse the blurred photo but the camera didn't seem to like to focus on these gorgeous tops so lets pretend they are meant to look like that. These lovelies are from French Connection and I may have to return and buy some more. As soon as I went into the store I was excited to be shopping and instantly wanted some bright clothes to wear in this, erm, miserable dull weather?! The sun seems to have come and gone but these clothes are staying out. The pink jumper was is a soft knit that isn't too heavy and is perfect for those summer evenings - it retails at £49 but is on sale at £29 (bargain!). The orange top is three quarter sleeved and has a little collar to make it even cuter - it retails at £32 but don't forget if you're a student you get 15% off! Let me know what summer clothes you have been picking up in the comments below xx
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)