Tag Archives: Hot Ticket

Pig Guide news: Bath Supper Club Collective launch

Bath, News, , ,

The Pig Guide’s super-exciting new collaboration with two of Bath’s most fabulous foodies launched at The Grapes Bath last night (Wednesday 6 October) with a Middle Eastern Harvest Feast hosted by Grapes’ landlady Ellie Leiper and curated by Bath-based cookery writer, teacher, organic allotmenteer and Supper Club hostess Simi Rezai, who many of you already know as the force behind Simi’s Kitchen.

The feast – served in the uniquely beautiful, lovingly restored, intimate Jacobean Dining Room on the first floor of the pub – began with a Somerset Cup cocktail: The Grapes’ very own take on a classic Pimms made with the Somerset Cider Company’s Kingston Black and apples from the company’s orchard.

Once firmly in the eat, drink and be merry zone, guests tucked into magical sharing platters that included tantalising tasters of Sumac Chicken (or aubergine-rich Kashke Bademjan for the vegetarians), Loubia bil Tahini (green beans in tahini sauce), Batata Harra (golden garlicky potatoes) and a huge pile of herb-laden aromatic salad, resulting in a prandial voyage of discovery showcasing the uniquely tantalising flavours of the Middle East, with many of the strictly seasonal ingredients sourced from Simi’s own allotment. At the finishing line, Labna with Seasonal Fruit Compote offered a sweet goodnight kiss before we went our separate ways… but we’re soon to be reunited!

Ellie, Simi and Melissa will be hosting regular events throughout the year celebrating high days and holidays such as a Fireworks Night Supper on Wednesday 3 November and Burns Night on Tuesday 25 January; watch this space for full details and that all-important advance booking information.

The Middle Eastern Harvest Feast launches Bath Supper Club Collective at The Grapes Bath, Wednesday 6 October

Bath, News, ,

The Pig Guide is super-excited to be collaborating with two of Bath’s most fabulous foodies to present the first in a series of Bath Supper Club Collective events at The Grapes Bath on Wednesday 6 October.

The Middle Eastern Harvest Feast will be curated and delivered by Bath-based cookery writer, teacher, organic allotmenteer and Supper Club hostess Simi Rezai, who many of you already know as the force behind Simi’s Kitchen. The BSCC launch is timed to coincide with both The Great Bath Feast and British Food Fortnight, and the event will take place in the uniquely beautiful, lovingly restored, intimate Jacobean Dining Room on the first floor of The Grapes.

“I was originally inspired to start up the Bath Supper Club Collective because seasonal produce and the ability of food to bring people together is one of the great pleasures in life,” says Grapes’ landlady Ellie Leiper. “Since moving to Bath from the countryside where we grew our own produce for decades and had our own flock of milking sheep, heritage pigs, goats and poultry, I have been struck by a powerful need to reconnect to the changing of the seasons through dishes that delight. Simi’s love for the land and how that translates in her native dishes is joy on a platter for me, as this was the food I grew up with in Nigeria, sharing meals with many Middle Eastern family friends. Meanwhile, Melissa of Pig Guide ‘fame’ was an obvious choice in terms of getting the wheels on this wonderful project rolling!”

Simi enjoys and cooks food from across the world but is best known for her native Persian Azeri dishes. For the past 11+ years she has facilitated and hosted cookery classes inspired by seasonal fruit, vegetables and herbs, sourced from her own allotment when possible and championing local producers. In 2019, Simi launched her successful Lockdown Supper Clubs and she is now looking forward to receiving guests at The Grapes for a feast that she describes as “celebrating the harvest bounty synonymous with this time of the year” (you can check out that fabulous menu here.)

Tickets for the inaugural Bath Supper Club Collective cost just £45pp to include, of course, a fabulous feast and a welcoming seasonal cocktail; to make that all-important booking click on this link… but be warned: numbers are strictly limited to a maximum of 24 guests and are expected to sell out fast, so move now to guarantee your place at the party.

Can’t make the date? Ellie, Simi and Melissa will be hosting regular events throughout the year celebrating high days and holidays such as a Fireworks Night Supper on Wednesday 3 November and Burns Night on Tuesday 25 January.

Exclusive Taittinger Champagne Supper Club at Plate, Thursday 8 July

Bath, News, ,

We’ve all got rather a lot to celebrate, right? So do it in fine, fizzy style at Plate (within the elegantly quirky confines of The Bird hotel, on Pulteney Road) on Thursday 8 July.

Celebratory parties of 2-8 people will raise a glass to all kinds of everything good while enjoying an exclusive one-night-only menu created by Plate’s Head Chef Leon Smith, using only the very best local produce from Bath and the very near beyond, served up in a fun, flamboyant setting and paired with a selection of top Champagne Taittinger tipples.

The fun starts with an array of canapés on arrival accompanied by a glass of Taittinger Brut Réserve NV. Once seated, expect delights such as Heritage Tomato, Ricotta, Olive and Basil Salad followed by Cornish Cod with Fennel, Broad Beans and Caviar before a Strawberry, Elderflower, Lemon Verbena and Meringue finale, with Taittinger tipples such as Brut Millésimé 2014, Prélude Grand Crus and Nocturne Sec especially selected to accompany each glorious dish.

The fun starts at 7pm prompt and all-inclusive tickets cost £80pp, but be warned: tickets are strictly limited to 40, so booking today is essential. To guarantee your place at the party, call 01225 580438 or visit www.thebirdbath.co.uk

Cheers, Piggies!

Unique Afternoon Tea treats at the Royal Crescent Hotel and Spa

Bath, News,

We never need to find an excuse for Afternoon Tea at the Royal Crescent Hotel and Spa… but y’know, when fizz is involved, who’s complaining? Raise your pinkie and take Afternoon Tea at Bath’s most iconic hotel any Monday-Thursday from 2-26 November and receive a complimentary glass of Champagne to make your afternoon delight go with a swing; simply use the offer code WEEKDAY TREAT when making that all-important booking by phone on 01225 823 333 or by emailing info@royalcrescent.co.uk

But the treats don’t end when the last cork has been popped. Revisit the RC for Afternoon Tea again (and why wouldn’t you?) between Friday 27-Wednesday 23 December and leave with a handmade wreath courtesy of owner of The LANE Floristry Emily Clarke, who is poised to create a bespoke, luxury wreath to order then deliver it to the hotel ready for you to collect on the day of your visit. This unique festive package costs £95pp to include a Champagne Afternoon Tea plus that beautiful wreath. Please note that, as every wreath is made bespoke to order, the hotel requires a minimum of four days’ notice before your visit, and booking is essential; to book, email info@royalcrescent.co.uk, or call 01225 823333 today.

Oktoberfest at the Seven Tuns (Chedworth) Friday 23-Saturday 24 October

Bath, News,

Glorious, award-winning gastropub the Seven Tuns (Chedworth) is bringing a little bit of Oktoberfest magic to the Cotswolds courtesy of a mini Oktoberfest from Friday 23-Saturday 24 October.

The two-day event will feature special Oktoberfest-themed menus wrought from locally sourced, seasonal produce (and, of course, beers – including a Bavarian tankard range – to compliment the food) served at your table at an Oktoberfest-themed dining and seating area complete with log burners to guarantee a cosy experience.

“Our Oktoberfest-style celebration is not just about speciality beers and locally crafted ales – it’s also about celebrating good wholesome food made with local and seasonal produce,” says the pub’s co-owner Simon Willson White. “This year has been a tough year for everyone, so this is the perfect combo for a covid-compliant knees up with a difference. If we can’t travel to Germany then let’s bring a bit of Bavaria to Chedworth!”

In the Seven Tuns kitchen throughout the year, head chef Tom Conway’s passion for sustainability and sourcing seasonal produce has seen him working with local suppliers with a genuine ‘field to fork’ ethic. Food and wine/beer pairings championed by Simon play a key part in the pub’s ethos, and Simon and Tom’s efforts have combined to turn this once run-down 17th Century Cotswold pub into a destination dining mecca.

So… are you ready to Oktoberfest in fine Cotswold style? For more information click here or call 01285 720630 to make that all-important, essential reservation.

Grüß Gott, piggies!

Stage.Jacky pop-up returns to The Peking, Sunday 27 September

Bath, News, , ,

Following on the success of the recent Stage.Jacky Tasting Menu event hosted by The Peking Restaurant (Kingsmead Square) last month (read our full review here), superchef Jacky Chan will be returning to the Peking kitchen to do it all over again on Sunday 27 September.

Tickets for this exclusive event cost just £65pp for a 5-course Tasting Menu and there are two sittings to choose from (6pm and 8pm.) However…. as space is limited to a maximum of 10 covers per sitting, this event is expected to sell out fast – last time around, the evening sitting sold out in just two hours; you have been warned! So, if you don’t want to miss out on what The Pig Guide can personally guaranteed is a uniquely fascinating experience, give Peking owner Jun a call on 01225 466377 today.

Visiting chef to host exclusive pop-up Tasting Menu at The Peking, Sunday 23 August

Bath, News

It is a fact universally acknowledged that we all love the Peking Restaurant. When it opened its doors back in 1985, it was the first restaurant to bring eat-in, Brit-friendly incarnations of Cantonese, Szechuan and Peking cuisine to the Heritage City… and now, it’s a Kingsmead Square institution.

Like the city around it, The Peking has undergone many changes and refurbishments over the decades; today, it boasts a subtle ambience of welcoming, understated glamour, perfectly balanced on the bridge where contemporary expectations meet traditional diner requirements. But if you think you know all there is to know about The Peking, prepare to have your preconceptions very elegantly challenged at a very special pop-up event on Sunday 23 August.

Chef Jacky Chan was born in Hong Kong and moved to the UK around 20 years ago. “When I first came to the UK, I started a Chinese takeaway and delivery business which I kept going for more than ten years,” says Jacky. “It was a good business, but I felt that that I wanted to do better, and develop more elaborate, diverse dishes of my own. So I gave up everything I had at the time and went on to learn fine dining level skills from scratch, at college in Bristol and then at several Michelin-starred restaurants.”

Jacky’s impressive CV includes experience at highly acclaimed Bristol gastropub The Kensington Arms and Michelin-starred establishments including the Pony and Trap in Chew Magna, Casamia, Marcus at The Berkeley and Hong Kong’s 3-starred Bo Innovation – and now, he’s popping up in Bath.

On Sunday 23 August, you can experience Jacky’s innovative, uniquely-crafted dishes – described by Jun Wong, owner of the Peking, as “the place where classic Michelin presentation and standards meets Far Eastern inspiration” – at a very special Supper Club hosted by The Peking. Tickets for this exclusive event cost just £58 for a 5-course Tasting Menu, full details of which will be revealed shortly, but in this instance, vegetarian or vegan options will not be available.

Although there are two sittings to choose from (5.30 and 8.30pm) space is limited to a maximum of 10 covers per sitting, so the event is expected to sell out fast. Don’t miss out on what’s guaranteed to be a uniquely fascinating experience! To book, give the Peking a ring on 01225 466377.

COVID-19 statement: The Peking Restaurant has studied the government’s guidelines for operating a Covid-secure restaurant carefully and is strictly observing and adhering to all the required recommendations, constantly keeping plans under review and making changes/improvements where appropriate.

New Delhi 2020 Supper Club at The Mint Room, Monday 30 March

Bath

Prepare to experience a taste of New Delhi 2020 at The Mint Room on Monday 30 March when a very special Supper Club puts guest chef Saurav Nath (Benares; Gymkana) at the hob to present a very special menu (read the full line-up here.)

The event aims to bring the famed cooking of India’s New Delhi into today’s gastronomic era, and will be co-hosted by former food and hospitality journalist turned consultant Humayun Hussain, regarded as one of the foremost authorities on Indian food and restaurants in the UK.

Side dishes, superb service and a sparkling environment in which to enjoy this very special event come as standard… all for just £45pp. Space, however, is strictly limited; email bath@mintroom.co.uk or call 01225 446656 to reserve your place at the party today.

Image: plated dishes from a previous Supper Club event at The Mint Room – looks good, eh?

Caribbean Night at The Marlborough Tavern, Wednesday 25 March

Bath

“Woah, we’re going to Barbados…” – well, kinda. In reality, we’re actually going to The Marlborough Tavern on Wednesday 25 March, when Head Chef Jack Scaterfield’s Caribbean-themed 5-course feast is set to change your perception of “typically tropical” (only piggies of a ‘certain vintage’ will get the link between this statement and our opening line – but trust me, youngsters, there is one) forever.

Rum punch on arrival; ackee and salt cod fritters; Jerk pigeon; blackened tiger prawns with pineapple salsa; Curried goat (served with, of course, rice’n’peas and fried plaintain); Jamaican-style sweet potato pudding with coconut custard and rum ice cream… it’s all going on, for just £45pp.

Y’all-a-wanna book your tickets for this event today, fah-real; call 01225 423731 or email reservations@marlborough-tavern.com to confirm your attendance at the bashment.

Chivas Regal Whisky Social at The Dark Horse, Wednesday 4 March

News

If you’re not familiar with (or would like to learn more about) Chivas Regal – the oldest continuously-operating Highland distillery, founded in 1786 and famous worldwide for pioneering the art of blending and creating the world’s first luxury whisky – then get yourself along to The Dark Horse on Wednesday 4 March and prepare to get up close and personal with CR brand ambassador Phil Huckle, who will be in attendance to guide us through samples of the company’s most iconic tipples courtesy of a relaxed, friendly, in-depth masterclass in one of Bath’s most characterful, seductively charming environments.

The £25pp ticket price (buy yours here) includes a cocktail on arrival, a guided whisky tasting and cheese to nibble on while we sup. When the ‘official’ session ends, the Blackbird Bar will serve discounted Chivas cocktails accompanied by cool toons to keep the party swinging.

Supper Club series at No. 15 Great Pulteney: Foraged Feast; Tour of Italy

Bath,

The enticing 2020 Supper Club series continues to gather pace at No. 15 Great Pulteney.

If you move very, very quickly, you might still just be in time to bag a space at Head Chef Matt Gillard’s Foraged Feast on Monday 2 March, which features his 100-year old Alaskan sourdough culture alongside hand-dived scallop with pickled Alexanders, hen’s egg with Somerset celeriac, and beef with fermented black garlic and handpicked artichoke. Pudding, meanwhile, takes an especially local turn: how does apple shortcake, wild thyme ice-cream and natural honeycomb grab you? It certainly grabs us! If it’s possible to click on this link while keeping your fingers crossed that space is still available, do it today.

Next stop: on Monday 20 April, we’re taking a tour of Italy without leaving Great Pulteney Street, taking in Liguria (the birthplace of focaccia, don’cha know), a slurp of Tuscany’s Ribollita, Campania’s trademark Caprese Salad, and the Milanese classic, Osso Buco, as we go. Il dolci? Certo! Matt’s takes in Treviso, Cremona and Sicily to create a decadent combination of tiramisu with torrone and gelato. Siete pronti for a taste of la dolce vita? Click on this link velocemente.

Supper Clubs at No. 15 start at 7pm and take place in the super-characterful Dispensary restaurant (pictured.) The £64pp ticket price includes a glass of Champagne on arrival, the feast itself (of course!), homemade breads and fine wines especially selected to accompany each dish… and a memorable, super-sociable experience comes as standard at every event.

Discovery Dinner and Battle of the Chefs at The Bath Priory

Bath,

The Bath Priory Hotel’s Executive Chef Michael Nizzero’s next Discovery Dinner (part of an ongoing series) sets sail on Thursday 12 March. This time around, Michael’s bespoke, exclusive 3-course menu – served in the hotel’s elegant private dining room – will be paired with flagship wines from Argentina’s Mendoza region, especially selected for the occasion by the Bath Priory’s Head Sommelier. The £95pp ticket price includes a champagne and canapé reception, a 3-course dinner including wine and tea/coffee served with petits fours at the finishing line; ready to book? Click on this link today.

Next up, on Thursday 26 March…

More than ever before, the heat will be on in the Bath Priory kitchen on Thursday 26 March as two award-winning chefs from the Andrew Brownsword Hotels collection come together to share their signature dishes in an evening of competitive culinary combat.

Michael Nizzero will be joined by Nik Chappell, Executive Chef at The Slaughters Manor House, to create a delicious six-course tasting menu showcasing their favourite dishes and techniques. Each chef will create three courses championing their signature style, and guests will then be invited to vote for their preferred course to crown the winner.

Tickets for this exciting, unique event cost £130pp to include a welcome drink and canapés on arrival, a six-course feast served with matching wines, and coffee and petits fours before home time. To make that all-important booking (and view the full menu,) click on this link today.

A Taste of India at The Marlborough Tavern, Wednesday 26 February

Bath

Fancy a curry? No, actually – what I really fancy is Coronation crab and Cornish crayfish salad with cumin-spiced chicken skin; tandoori roast quail with mung bean dahl; Keralan monkfish with korma curry, coconut salad and liver pakora; Goan goat curry with fried keema rice, aubergine bhaji and peshwari naan… and, after all that, a saffron and mango donut served with coconut lassi and a cardamom biscuit. So, I’m taking myself off to The Marlborough Tavern on Wednesday 26 February, where head chef Jack Scaterfield’s Indian-themed 5-course feast (peruse the full line-up here) is set to change our perceptions of “a curry” from here on in.

This tantalising, one-off Tasting Menu costs just £40pp; call 01225 423731 or email reservations@marlborough-tavern.com to confirm your attendance at the party today.

‘New Spain’ Wine Tasting at Novel Wines, Friday 31 January

Bath

Wave goodbye to the most miserable month of the year and say hello to Novel Wines’ new HQ in Cork Place (if, that is, you haven’t discovered this tasteful little oasis of oenophiliary yet) from 7.30pm on Friday 31 January, when super-sommelier Ben Franks will be taking us on a sunshine-fuelled tour around six wines sourced directly from Navarra, Ucles, Ribiera, Rias Baixas, Mallorca and Tenerife, thereby proving once and for all that Spanish wine isn’t all and only about Rioja.

The £20 ticket price includes a guided tasting of the wines in the spotlight (which will all, of course, be available to buy) accompanied by cheese and nibbles. If you’re not quite ready to leave the party by the time the tour ends, worry not; the bar’s licensed until 10pm. To buy tickets for this fabulous fiesta, clickety-click on this link, rapadisio. Olé!

Vegan Tasting Menu at The Marlborough Tavern, Wednesday 29 January

Bath,

Miso-glazed hasselback yam, maple and soy wild mushrooms; salt and pepper banana blossom with shredded green papaya, toasted peanuts and green chilli jam; Goan-style curry with roasted cauliflower, pulled jackfruit, coconut wild rice and broccoli pakoras… these are just some of the tantalising dishes/flavour combinations on head chef Jack Scaterfield’s splendid 5-course feast that’ll be served at The Marlborough Tavern on Wednesday 29 January (peruse the full line-up here).

Yup, it’s all totally, 100% vegan… but even if you’re a committed carnivore, you’d be crazy to miss out.

Tickets for this stunning event cost just £40pp; call 01225 423731 or email reservations@marlborough-tavern.com to confirm your attendance at the plant-based party today.