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

Friday

Foodie Friday - Afternoon Tea at Fortnum and Mason, London

I've been wondering whether to post this review of afternoon tea at Fortnum's because it's a little more critical than I'd like it to be.

London - Afternoon Tea at Fortnum and Mason, photo by modernbricabrac


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Thursday

Getting crafty for Christmas - Create a Christmas Tree Wall Hanging

I've got no plans to turn MBB into a crafty Blog but I did recently discover how easy it is to create a beautiful Christmas tree wall hanging and thought I'd share the results.

Getting crafty for Christmas - Create a Christmas Tree Wall Hanging, photo by modernbricabrac


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Tuesday

Notes from Valencia - The Must Visit City of Arts and Sciences

I've been back a few weeks but my mind keeps returning to the fabulous gardens in Valencia, formerly the riverbed of the Turia and the amazing futuristic white city I found there.

Notes from Valencia - The Must Visit City of Arts and Sciences, photo by modernbricabrac


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Friday

Foodie Friday - The Ginger Dog, Kemptown

To my knowledge, The Gingerman restaurants has a pretty good reputation with the locals of Brighton and Hove. It’s where people choose to go for a special meal and it’s where, in the case of our friends, they chose to have their super wedding reception with a fish and chip supper. The best fish and chips our friend from Cardiff said he’d ever had.

Foodie Friday - The Ginger Dog, Kemptown, photo by modernbricabrac


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Tuesday

Ghost buildings of Valencia

It's Halloween, it's dark outside and it's time to get spooky. I love the romance of a wreck and in the centre of Valencia I found quite a few abandoned buildings that looked like they might have a few ghosts in them.


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Friday

Foodie Friday - Silo, Brighton

If you're looking for an innovative and revolutionary dining experience then join me as I share with you my evening at Silo. Offering experimentation on a plate, Silo mills its own flour, churns its own butter, bakes its own sourdough as well as makes its own fir tree oil. Three years in and Douglas McMaster still stands proud as a pioneer of a brave new way of experiencing food, one that is rooted in a zero waste philosophy.

Foodie Friday - Silo, Brighton photo by modernbricabrac

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Foodie Friday - The Salt Room, Brighton

If I were to give the Salt Room a colour I think it would be amber, actually, I'd probably give it two colours, black and amber are the colours I'd associate with the Salt Room. 

October Best Menu, Foodie Friday - The Salt Room, Brighton, photo by modernbricabrac

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Foodie Friday - Was Oddsocks such an odd choice?

Whole roasted free-range chicken cooked in a special rotisserie oven in a maple syrup and lemon thyme sauce; served with thick-cut chips, ruby slaw, corn on the cob and a jug of gravy in a light-filled, comfy setting, centrally located and only two minutes from Brighton station. 'On paper', an expression I picked up lately, 'this place was just my type of dining experience'. So, why was it that it wasn't on my radar and would odd socks be required for the dress code?

Foodie Friday - Was Oddsocks such an odd choice? photo by modernbricabrac


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Tuesday

Brighton Days Out - October Best Restaurants

Great News foodie friends of Brighton. Twenty top restaurants in Brighton and Hove will be offering us £20 menus as part of OctoberBest, Brighton's premier restaurant festival from 1st - 15th October 2017.

Brighton Days Out - October Best Restaurants 2017 photo by Modernbricabrac


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Friday

Foodie Friday - Lost in the Lanes, Brighton Brunch

It's the first of September, the first day of autumn and a time that is ripe for seasonal colds. With this in mind my next brunch spot offers you an immune boosting haven. Brand new, with a stylish interior and beautiful, gut-healthy food, Lost in the Lanes cafe provides a menu bursting with good stuff.

Foodie Friday - Lost in the Lanes, Brighton Brunch, photo by modernbricabrac

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Tuesday

Women's Event - Brighton Wildfire Women

Are you looking for a women's event to inspire you to make changes to your life or work? Then, this September an event in Brighton is just for you.



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Wednesday

Days Out in Brighton - Regency Town House Wedding Event

This weekend on Sunday at 11 am - 5 pm, the Regency Town House will open its doors for free for an exhibition of antique wedding dresses.

Regency Town House vintage wedding photo by modernbricabrac

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Friday

Foodie Friday - Afternoon Tea at the Grand, Brighton

I'm not exactly sure why it came to mind while writing this blog post, the part in the film Pretty Woman where Vivienne turns to her friend and asks where she should go to buy a classy frock in Beverly Hills. Her friend replies, Rodeo Drive, baby. In Brighton, if you're looking for sophistication, with regards to afternoon tea, it's got to be the Grand Hotel, all the way.

Foodie Friday - Afternoon Tea at the Grand, Brighton photo by modernbricabrac


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Tuesday

Brighton Days Out - Jane Austen at the Royal Pavilion

Brighton's Royal Pavilion and Museum are celebrating the Regency period this year with a few beautifully curated exhibitions.

In April the fabulous Constable exhibition opened in Brighton Museum and now to perfectly complement this, the Royal Pavilion has added another Regency exhibition, Jane Austen by the Sea.

Brighton Days Out - Jane Austen at the Royal Pavilion photo by modernbricabrac


Although I had at some point absorbed the notion that Jane Austen didn't really like Brighton, evidence now suggests that she was actually talking about Bookham in Surrey. The misunderstanding derived from a letter written on 8 January 1799 which it seems has been misquoted in an early 'Brabourne' edition of Austen's letters from 1884. The letter is quoted as saying, "I assure you that I dread the idea of going to Brighton as much as you can do..". This mistake was then repeatedly copied and cited, leading to the perception that Jane didn't like Brighton.

Whether Jane Austen actually liked Brighton, perhaps, is no longer important. What remains, however, are the lasting legacies of the Regency buildings in Brighton and a Regency writer whose work still has the power to resonate today. I'm a huge fan of both, so an exhibition that brings these two elements together was made for me.


Brighton Days Out - Jane Austen at the Royal Pavilion photo by modernbricabrac


The exhibition to a greater extent is contained in one room and is composed of a mixture of pictures, objects and costumes, each so carefully selected that it took a while to take it all in. At the entrance, a mannequin has been dressed in a white pelisse taken from the Museum's own collection. Worn for promenading, the dress although cotton looks like silk and is delicately trimmed in broderie anglaise. It was incredibly petite and a pertinent reminder of just how small the ladies at that time really were.

Brighton Days Out - Jane Austen at the Royal Pavilion photo by modernbricabrac

Brighton Days Out - Jane Austen at the Royal Pavilion photo by modernbricabrac


Inside and in quick succession I took in the lock of Jane's hair, a loan from the British Museum, an example of a writing desk and a mezzotint of Caroline of Brunswick looking supremely majestic. Other pictures on the wall, such as Spornberg's watercolour of the Old Steine depict scenes from the late eighteenth century, that evoke a setting at once familiar and alien.

Brighton Days Out - Jane Austen at the Royal Pavilion photo by modernbricabrac


In particular I loved standing up close to The Pavilion and Steyne aquatint by Charles Thomas Cracklow. Underneath the figures in exceptionally small writing runs a list of names of the personalities included. To the centre rides the Prince Regent himself, while to the farthest left the famous dipper Martha Gunn has also been featured. Considered a highly significant picture because of its inclusion of names, the faces have a photographic feel to them.

Brighton Days Out - Jane Austen at the Royal Pavilion photo by modernbricabrac


Another fascinating inclusion were some library cards from Pollard's and Wilkes's circulating libraries of Marine Parade. From these, I discovered that not only were circulating libraries places to borrow books and meet people but were also venues for a little luxury goods shopping in perfume, parasols, and stationery. The Curator Dr Alexandra Loske told me the library cards on display were from her own collection and I was pretty impressed.

Brighton Days Out - Jane Austen at the Royal Pavilion photo by modernbricabrac

Image supplied by the Royal Pavilion and Brighton Museums
Image supplied by the Royal Pavilion and Brighton Museums

On the other side of the display were more stunning costumes from the Museum's own collection. An ivory wedding dress with obligatory empire line, which had never before exhibited and alongside it the most beautiful white muslin dress. Delicately decorated with a floral pattern, it had capped sleeves, a slight train at the back, and was quite enchanting.

Brighton Days Out - Jane Austen at the Royal Pavilion photo by modernbricabrac


However, topping all of this and the really great Gillray 'Les Invisibles' and the pair of little red pumps was an enormous hand-painted frieze by William Heath. Pictured mid-dance to Lumps of Pudding, a popular country dance tune, was a set of slightly ridiculous dancers. To the far right of the picture stands a man who has taken his wig off to mop his brow, while one lady dances enthusiastically on her wooden leg and another with her dog under her arm. It's all very jolly and the humour is light-hearted rather than searingly vicious often present in other satirical cartoons of the time.

Brighton Days Out - Jane Austen at the Royal Pavilion photo by modernbricabrac

Brighton Days Out - Jane Austen at the Royal Pavilion photo by modernbricabrac

Image supplied by the Royal Pavilion and Brighton Museums
Image supplied by the Royal Pavilion and Brighton Museums


Overall the exhibition conjures a sense of Brighton's Regency world, one that Jane Austen knew in person, whether she liked it or not.

Brighton Days Out - Jane Austen at the Royal Pavilion photo by modernbricabrac

Jane Austen by the Sea, 17 June 2017 to 8 January 2018 in the Prince Regent Gallery at the Royal Pavilion, Brighton

I hope you enjoy it too,

Sarah xx


photo 
Sarah Agnew
Blogger, Modern Bric a Brac
    

To find out about the best places to eat in Brighton and London plus beautiful places to visit, click here to Follow my blog with Bloglovin
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Friday

Foodie Friday - Afternoon Tea at Brighton Harbour Hotel

The outing was just meant to be about afternoon tea at the Jetty, but as the Jetty happens to be the rather swanky restaurant of the rather glam Brighton Harbour Hotel I had to take a look around the hotel too.

I had been invited by the Brighton Blogger group to enjoy afternoon tea at the new seafront hotel and it had turned into a gloriously hot and sunny day. Inside, the bar area and restaurant had thrown all its windows and doors wide open. On the walls were photo montages from classic films such as James Bond and pop stars like the Rolling Stones and Foo Fighters. I headed to a raised area at the back where I found some large oversized sofas surrounding a glass topped coffee table emblazoned with the British flag.

Foodie Friday - Afternoon Tea at the Jetty, Brighton

Foodie Friday - Afternoon Tea at the Jetty, Brighton


Classic Cornishware blue and white striped crockery dressed the table with big, jolly teapots, cups, saucers and milk jugs. In the background, a soulful 60s soundtrack completed the nostalgic setting and the result was a thoroughly laid back type of cool.

Foodie Friday - Afternoon Tea at the Jetty, Brighton


I was keen to check out the afternoon tea menu, which I was pleased to find was only £15.95 per person and included bottomless tea. To give a comparison, afternoon tea at other top hotels in Brighton costs around £30 at The Grand and £22.50 at Hotel du Vin. Read my review of afternoon tea at Hotel du Vin.

Foodie Friday - Afternoon Tea at the Jetty, Brighton


On the menu, I noticed there were not only finger sandwiches, scones and cakes but also a Sussex cheddar scone with bacon jam. I wasn't sure I'd like this savoury scone addition but I was looking forward to trying it, as well as a smoked chicken and mango tortilla wrap.

Foodie Friday - Afternoon Tea at the Jetty, Brighton


Tiered plates arrived with finger sandwiches, wraps, scones and fancies that I couldn't wait to dive into. The tea was ready to pour and each pot had been supplied with three Tea Pig teabags in order to make a nice strong brew.

Foodie Friday - Afternoon Tea at the Jetty, Brighton


The savoury section consisted of egg and cress, smoked salmon, smoked chicken wraps as well as cheese scones with bacon jam. I'm not a fan of smoked chicken and the tortilla wrap didn't win me over, but I thought the Sussex cheddar scone was delicious. Slather on a bit of bacon jam and you're on to a winner. Everyone at the table seemed to agree and this savoury treat is an absolute keeper.

Foodie Friday - Afternoon Tea at the Jetty, Brighton


On the tier below were delicate eclairs with a sweet raspberry filling, as well as hazelnut and raspberry frangipane slices, chocolate brownies and plain scones. Although all the sweet delicacies tasted great it was again the scone that stood out. They tasted so fresh and had such a lovely flavour that I'd highly recommend them, in fact, they're the best I've ever tasted in Brighton.

With afternoon tea over I wanted to explore the rest of the hotel and so I jumped at the chance of a tour with Charlotte. We started downstairs in the basement area that has been extended into ancient tunnels leading to the seafront. Formerly passageways and underground stores, the space has been transformed into a hot and steamy spa area, with swimming pool, hot tubs, ESPA treatments rooms, gym and special VIP area. Membership is open to local residents and currently is offered at a discounted rate of £50 a month.

Foodie Friday - Afternoon Tea at the Jetty, Brighton

Foodie Friday - Afternoon Tea at the Jetty, Brighton


The Harbour Hotel is part of a small independent chain of 12 hotels and the owner is ever ambitious to make his hotels even bigger, better and more unique. If he obtains the relevant permissions this hotel might one day boast direct access to the seafront via its underground tunnels or a rooftop terrace with infinity pool.

Our next stop was to check out one of the Superior rooms with a sea view and when we stepped into the room the sea twinkled back at us as Charlotte lifted aside the curtain. On a little table by the window complimentary decanters of gin and sherry sat invitingly on a silver tray. What a wonderful way to enjoy the view!

Foodie Friday - Afternoon Tea at the Jetty, Brighton

Foodie Friday - Afternoon Tea at the Jetty, Brighton

Foodie Friday - Afternoon Tea at the Jetty, Brighton

Totally impressed by all that I'd seen, the Brighton Harbour Hotel and the Jetty afternoon tea offer a superb experience at a fabulously central location.

Brighton Harbour Hotel, 64 Kings Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1NA

Foodie Friday - Afternoon Tea at the Jetty, Brighton

Best wishes

Sarah xx


photo 
Sarah Agnew
Blogger, Modern Bric a Brac
    

To find out about the best places to eat in Brighton and London plus beautiful places to visit, click here to Follow my blog with Bloglovin

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