Food, Days Out and Travel stories from Brighton, London and the Rest of the World

Friday

Foodie Friday - Trying out the Brighton Food Tour

If you want to jump on the current zeitgeist, then I suggest you find yourself a food tour and get strolling. It's the new way to discover a city you are new to or even one you know already. Expect insights, discounts, food and drink samples and a little wandering combined with a knowledgeable guide.

I'm such a convert it's made me regret not joining a food tour on our recent trip to Florence. I had kind of banked on finding great places on our own. I thought, we've got Pinterest, we'll find places. My thinking turned out to be naive at best.

Back in Blighty and I get offered the chance to go on a food tour in my own front yard. I'm interested. I also think, I hope I know at least some of the places we are taken to. I check out Brighton Food Tours online and I'm none the wiser. It's also looking like rain.

Saturday morning at 11 am and I meet the gang on the pedestrianised street outside the Unitarian church and we're a group of about ten.

The Matcha Mixers


Our guide Angela begins with a quote about Brighton, a great way to start most things in my opinion and we head into the north laine area and arrive at our first desto. An independent tea mixology centre. My Welsh One is a big fan and I'm relieved that it's somewhere I'd recommend too. We listen to a short talk about matcha, the Japanese import that is currently causing a storm. We sample the lemon matcha and then move to the main counter to smell the tea blends that these leaf-enthusiasts have created. My own personal favourites are the Coco Chai and Monkey Chops (great with hot milk).


Days Out in Brighton a Brighton Food Tour 2016


The Sausage Combiners


Onwards and while we start to mingle and chat as a group we pass a whole host of places I'd recommend for a Vintage Finds Tour (not yet in existence). We arrive at our next stop, the famous sausage seller. We find out his sausage meat comes from West Sussex, near Steyning and he loves to try out new recipes such as smoked bacon and maple syrup or marmite. We're told the number of local cheese suppliers is on the rise. It's a good time for small producers and he's enthusiastic. We're given a sausage roll sample to try and it tastes so good. The pastry falls apart with a delicious crunch.

Days Out in Brighton a Brighton Food Tour 2016


Our next stop finds us loitering outside a curious little tearoom that our guide recommends we try out another time, the owner doesn't want any publicity, so I don't take a picture and we don't go in. Enough said.

The Houmous Authenticators


Another quote and we're trying three grades of houmous and freshly made falafels. The houmous was born out a frustration with the number of mass produced versions that lacked depth of flavour. It's all delicious as is the superbly creamy tzatziki. Not only does this place get featured on the Brighton Food Tour but it's been recommended to me by some other foodies I had spoken to the day before, so I was glad to have a chance to check it out.


Days Out in Brighton a Brighton Food Tour 2016


The Chocolate Hitters


Around the corner and we've reached my favourite stop of the tour. That's a tough call btw. It's like entering a British version of the film Chocolat. There are signs of chocolate making and there are baskets and glass cabinets filled with chocolates of all sorts. It's quite uplifting. The owner chatters in a jolly way and we learn that chocolate like red wine should be enjoyed at room temperature. The chocolate lady tells us of how she experiments with seasonal flavours and we're left feeling there'll always be something new to discover. We're handed petite cups of rich hot chocolate and invited to dollop cream on the top. It tastes divine and this is my reason for making this my favourite stop of all.


Days Out in Brighton a Brighton Food Tour 2016


Days Out in Brighton a Brighton Food Tour 2016


The Independents Champion


We curve back round and head towards the centre of Brighton again and on route stop at the fabulous independent grocers hiSbe. Started in response to how large supermarket chains are run, with approximately 9p in every £1 returned to the producer, hiSbe wanted to find a fairer way. Their proposition has meant that they can offer approximately 69p to the producer instead. There's lots to say about this store, such as their commitment to choosing brands and producers that do things responsibly. They refuse to throw away food that can be eaten, care where the food they sell comes from and how it's made. This is nothing short of a revolution and their store has succeeded to such an extent that they're now looking to open a second store in Worthing.

Days Out in Brighton a Brighton Food Tour 2016


We move on to our next stop and wend our way through the blooming Pavilion Gardens before stopping for a brief talk about the Prince Regent. I'm impressed, our tour guide is well informed and her tidbits are brief, on point (food and drink) and interesting.

The Oyster Catchers


We cross onto East Street and we enter a fabulously refined marble-topped oyster bar and seafood restaurant. I've only eaten here once before, it was with my parents. We sat in the sunshine and had a meal accompanied by the most wonderful bottle of wine. To my lasting regret I didn't take a picture of the wine we had. We stand at the bar and the ever so charming oysterman, Jonathan Speirs talks to us about oysters. Around him mill neatly turned out staff carrying out bottles of wine. We're invited to choose an oyster to sample. I shout out for the Northern Irish one and it tastes of the sea as I bite and swallow. We are told if you're not looking to stay for a full meal there is also the option of sitting at the bar for a glass of wine and some oysters.

Days Out in Brighton a Brighton Food Tour 2016


Days Out in Brighton a Brighton Food Tour 2016


The Scoop Creamers


The group is buzzing after our brush with sophistication and we move on to our final stop, which is quite appropriately with ice cream. It's another place I know and have been to frequently so I'm glad my Brighton foodie radar has passed muster. Again the same theme keeps re-emerging, one of experimentation with flavour. We try an olive oil ice cream and it tastes surprisingly creamy and delicious. We also try a strawberry and basil combo and a peanut ice cream that is so popular there are complaints when it is not available.

Days Out in Brighton a Brighton Food Tour 2016


We walk to the seafront and we've not had a drop of rain. Visiting these shops has been incredibly uplifting. We've listened to shop owners and staff who are passionate about what they do, they're inventive, support local industry and offer a unique visitor experience.

Spoiler alert


I've deliberately avoided using the names of the shops in case you'd like to go on the tour and discover the places like I did en route. However, if you'd rather just find out which shops Brighton Food Tours visited scroll down to the comments and I'll list them there.

With thanks to Brighton Food Tours for my complimentary tour. My views my own.

Days Out in Brighton a Brighton Food Tour 2016

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Wednesday

Brighton Shop Heroes - Preloved in Fiveways

Moving away from Kemptown village for my next Brighton Shop Hero I want to introduce you to a dress agency in the very lovely Fiveways area.

Think shoes by Louboutin, Sophia Webster and Vivienne Westwood to clothes by Cos, Toast, Boden, Diane Von Furstenberg and a divine dress by Stella McCartney.


Brighton Shop Heroes, Preloved in Fiveways
Stella McCartney silk dress size 12 / 14 

Vanessa only opened her shop three years ago and yet despite being relatively new to the fashion trade her good eye and friendly manner have made Preloved of Brighton a huge success.

The shop works by selling select pieces that are displayed for a period of three weeks and if the item is sold half the profits go to the previous owner. There are exceptions so click on Preloved for full details on their policy.

Brighton Shop Heroes, Preloved in Fiveways
Diane von Furstenberg Cerise Navy Dress Coat 100% cotton size 6 / 8
Brighton Shop Heroes, Preloved in Fiveways
Christian Louboutin size 40

What Vanessa has created is a space that appeals to women from mid teens through to ladies in their later years. Vanessa found that for many women over 35 years shopping had become more difficult. No longer looking for high fashion, finding the right places to shop can be hard. By providing a range of styles in a friendly atmosphere, Preloved is fulfilling a need without the snootiness that sometimes goes with posh boutiques. It also democratizes designer fashion by making it affordable to a broader range of people.

Brighton Shop Heroes, Preloved in Fiveways
Artigiano cashmere jumper and Jigsaw smock linen shirt

I first came across Preloved on Instagram and it turns out Vanessa has found this a great way of updating her customers with what is new in store. Many items are reserved after having been spotted on there. The short turnaround of stock and the one-off aspect of each item means that when someone spots an item they are keen on, they want to pick it up as soon as they can.


Brighton Shop Heroes, Preloved in Fiveways


Currently, in their summer season Vanessa said they're not looking for more summer stock, unless she's tempted by something she really can't turn away. They'll start to take on autumn and winter pieces from the beginning of September 2016.

Brighton Shop Heroes, Preloved in Fiveways
Miss Hoe floral top size 10

Preloved will be closed during August, from 31st July - 3rd September 2016, so do take a trip up to Fiveways before the end of July if you're looking for something special to fall in love with.


Brighton Shop Heroes, Preloved in Fiveways

Brighton Shop Heroes, Preloved in Fiveways

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Friday

Foodie Friday - Get Your Free Breakfast and Wake Up To Organic

Exciting news for Brighton and Hove. Next Wednesday 15 June 2016 there will be free organic breakfasts given out across Brighton, Hove and Lewes as part of a nationwide campaign for us to Wake Up To Organic.


Wake up to organic with free breakfasts in Brighton and Hove


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Wednesday

Travel - Top Five Sights to See in Florence

The smell of orange blossom drifted towards us and in the distance, we could see the steep cypress walk flanked by antique statues as we sat in the shade admiring the nautical scene of the Isolotto.

The Isolotto Basin in the Boboli Gardens


Sitting at the lower level of the Boboli Gardens, the Isolotto is a small island that contains the fountain Oceanus in its centre. Originally laid out for Cosimo I de Medici and his wife Eleonora di Toledo in the 1500s the gardens gained the Isolotto adornment seventy years later when it was added in 1618. The garden gained such a reputation that parts of it were used as inspiration for Versailles. The section of the garden directly behind the palace it adjoins takes you through an amphitheatre decorated by even more statues and a giant Egyptian obelisk that came direct from Luxor in 1789. The Boboli Garden's status as an outdoor museum is truly deserved.

Top Five Views in Florence by Modern Bric a Brac

Top Five Views in Florence by Modern Bric a Brac


Top Five Views in Florence by Modern Bric a Brac



The Ponte Vecchio


Painted in ochres and mustards, the Ponte Vecchio is one of the last Medieval bridges to still have a thriving community living on it. Underneath flows the river Arno while all day and into the evening a line of jewellery shops tempt the throng of tourists to buy pretty trinkets. Overhead a private walkway remains silent in contrast to the bustle going on underneath. Called the Vasari Corridor it was built in 1565 to provide safe passage to Cosimo I de Medici across the city without fear of assassination. The entrance to it is hidden behind an unmarked door in the Uffizi Gallery and it is closed to the general public, despite it containing an art gallery of 16th and 17th century paintings.


Top Five Views in Florence by Modern Bric a Brac


Top Five Views in Florence by Modern Bric a Brac


Il Primo - The Bruschetta


Bruschetta may be an old favourite back in Blighty but try this dish in Florence and I promise, tomatoes have never tasted so good. It may only be a simple starter of toasted bread, rubbed with garlic and soaked in freshly pressed olive oil with tomatoes on top, but the tomatoes are so ripe and rich with flavour that they glisten like bright red jewels. You can find this dish everywhere you go although this particular plate was from a restaurant in the Piazza Republicca.


Top Five Views in Florence by Modern Bric a Brac


Galleria Palatina in the Pitti Palace


Never have I seen such opulence. One of my favourite words, hyperkulturemia means to feel overwhelmed by art, a term that originated in reference to Florence. Understandable when you think there are more works of art per square mile than anywhere else in the world. The word for me also aptly applies to the Palazzo alone. The former palace of the Medicis, then the Dukes of Lorraine and for a short while Napoleon, it is home to the largest collection of Titians and Raphaels in existence. In each of the 28 rooms every surface is covered in decoration, from the ceilings, to the walls to the carpet on the floor. My favourite items included an enormous gilded mirror, a simple statue of la vittoria by Consani and an ornately painted vase. I also loved the fragments of clothing worn by Cosimo and Eleonora in the costume museum.


Top Five Views in Florence by Modern Bric a Brac

Top Five Views in Florence by Modern Bric a Brac

Top Five Views in Florence by Modern Bric a Brac



Santa Maria del Fiore and Brunelleschi's Duomo


The greatest view of all, perhaps was of the Santa Maria del Fiore and Brunelleschi's Duomo. Our first view of it I've already mentioned in my last blog post, where we had a room without a view but found a beautiful roof terrace to make up for it instead. On our first evening in Florence we went out to explore the city and we knew from our visit to the roof terrace that the dome was close. Outside we walked along streets, looking up at the beautiful buildings and within minutes we found ourselves in the square looking at the front of the dome. I couldn't believe how colourful it looked. I thought I knew what Brunelleschi's dome looked like and yet the amount of patterned marble and delicate carvings still took me by surprise. The size of it towering above us and the workmanship of the detailed carvings on the front was quite stunning.




Top Five Views in Florence by Modern Bric a Brac

Top Five Views in Florence by Modern Bric a Brac

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