The Lucky 7 – My Best Bits from August
Hello September! Another scorcher… and a reminder that summer is almost over. It was a really quick month for me, though it had all the same number of days as everyone else. I went to my first festival outside of London…. and guess what? It Rained. The summer could not hold out for that weekend. Enough about the weather and let’s get to my Lucky 7 memories from August.
National Oyster Day
I celebrated #NationalOysterDay at Wright Brothers. Not content in eating all th oyesters myself, I teamed up with Wright Bnrothers to give one of my lucky followers a year of free oysters.
Such a bloody good prize… I wish they did the same for me… I suppose i cannot complain as they do look after me every time im in.
Wingfest
I spent a Red Hot Day at London Wing Fest with as guest of Franks Red Hot. My goal was to try them all obvs… I managed about 22, not bad for a Wing Fest Virgin. I think my overall favs were Thunderbird Chicken, I really loved the use of more sophisticated flavours (Yuzu, Miso, Curry Leaf & Palm Sugar) to take them next level, Big thanks to Lord of the Wings, Taco Dave, BBQ Dreams, Wingmans Chicken, Brother bird and Mother Flipper for feeding us. ⠀
Ichibuns Relaunch
I think the word knows that i was not a fan of Ichibuns when they first opened. On paper i should have loved it, but it missed the mark for so many reasons. After about 9 months, they did a bit of a regig of the place and menu. One of the star new dishes was this cold sashimi udon. The fat toothsome cold udon noodle dripping in a yuzu mustard dressing eat like a dream on a warm summers evening. Over all im Still in awe about how brilliant the menu rework has been. The burgeers are ace to.. It really went from Zero to Hero for me with the revamp.
Cricket at Lords
I can’t believe that it’s taken me 19 years in the UK to get to a cricket match. Not just any cricket match, but one at @HomeofCricket. I was treated to a match between Middlesex and Essex at the T20
tournament.
The grounds are amazing (I’ve been smitten with the Future Systems designed Media Centre since it was built in ’99) and the hospitality was spot on. Did you know that on test match days the kitchens prepare close to 17,000 meals. Not talking stadium food meals (yeah they serve that) but pretty incredible spreads. ⠀
The Big Feastival
I had never been to a festival outside of @London. Bad weather forecasts and a cancelled train was not going to stop me. I’m not gonna lie, yesterday was WET! Despite the rain, all the traders, producers and makers that I met up with were a happy lark. As the name implies its a Huge Feast, So huge in fact I missed a large bunch of traders. Big shout out to all the traders that kept us fed, thirsts quenched and groomed. @burgerandbeyond @thepiadinaproject @oli_babas @sharpsbrewery @jimmysicedcoffee @kinokokombucha @norse.lifestyle @brancottestate ⠀⠀
Biggest Thanks to @taste_felicity for the #invite and everything she does to help organise such an amazing event! ⠀⠀
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Already looking forward to next year… who knows I might even camp it out. ⠀⠀
Claw x Island Poke Collab
Another killer Poke Collab bowl from Island Poke. This time sees them pair up with the purveyors of sustainable seafood @clawfood . This technicolour dream bowl features Beetroot-cured trout ( a first for poke bowls in the UK), leafy greens, yuzu ricotta, pickled English pear, togarashi, edamame & shoestring beetroot crisps. It’s sweet and earthy with a creamy tang from that yuzu ricotta
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Beef and Beer Supperclub
On paper, the premise of a beer and beef supper club is not that groundbreaking. (Florals for Spring much?!?1) Unless of of course it’s a Beef and Beer Supper club hosted by @blueprint_cafe and @originalsmallbeer. Until last week I was clueless about the newly revived concept of small beer and the brand its self. In simplest of terms, #smallbeer is a centuries-old concept of low alcohol beer that doesn’t taste shite. They paired perfectly with the cleverly designed menu by @chefmini.p. We started with umami-rich beef croquettes. Moved on to a beautiful tartare with charcoal oil for a level of smokiness. Then a surprise scallop dish which was a pleasant reprieve from beef, before the main event. …Sirloin, sticky brisket, charred leek, wild mushroom and beef dripping chips with the most incredibly fragrant Lovage ketchup. Finishing with a seasonal plum tart with hay ice-cream that screamed of the crisp evenings of late summer. ⠀
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This was easily one of the highlights of my August eating… if not of 2018. I can’t wait to return to Blueprint and more importantly get to the Small Beer Brewery in Bermondsey to learn more about this beer.⠀