A few weeks ago I had a day off work. I had various errands to run, and calculated that I would be passing through Alton (Hampshire) at around lunch-time.
I actually went to sixth form college in Alton, and even worked there for a couple of years, but I hadn’t really been there for about 10 years, so thought I should check out what had changed when it came to food.
I’d like to pretend someone will remember my post of almost two years ago about fern tarts, but I’m not holding my breath.
Back then I had my first encounter with a fern tart, and as it was a rather unglamourous supermarket version I was hoping to find one in a bakery some time.
Fast-forward to my Maybole sweet treat hunt, and on scanning the shelves in Bakery Bites (11 – 13 High Street, Maybole), I spied an old chum.
I find it strange that Vietnamese food is not more prevalent in the UK. I suppose it isn’t strange, as it doesn’t have the same history with the UK as some cuisines do, or isn’t as visited a destination, but the food itself has the right combination of freshness, sparkling flavours and exotic appeal to prove popular with this country’s jaded palettes.
I am assuming our palettes are jaded because in the average supermarket one can find 6 different flavours of hummus.
Anyway, The Hanoi Bike Shop recently popped up in Ruthven Lane in the West End of Glasgow. The family members we were visiting were all in favour of going, so we popped in for lunch one day.
Every now and again I like to daydream about having my own little cake shop. I’d mostly just be baking. And eating. And I probably wouldn’t have any customers, but I’d have an array of cakes to choose from.
If my fantasy ever became reality, I wouldn’t want it to be all that different from the Daisy Cupcake Cafe (15 High Street, Ayr).
I miss brunch. Farnborough, where I currently live, is not a brunch hotspot. There are plenty of places to get a fry-up, but for snooty gourmands like myself, there is a distinct lack of free-range meaty goodness, artisan bread products and things smothered in Hollandaise. (Yes, I am as pretentious as I sound…)
We went out for brunch on a Sunday morning in Bristol, and after our first destination turned out to be closed, our friend led us to the nearby Primrose Cafe (1 Clifton Arcade, Clifton, Bristol).
