Category Archives: Food

Food. Go somewhere, take a photo, eat well. What more could you ask for?

Holistic Harborough wit Brett's own Brews

Coffee at Holistic Harborough

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Following on from our 3 Counties Saturday, with a visit to Market Harborough, we decided to tag along and visit Holistic Harborough to see BOB (Brett’s Own Brews) and Betty (the coffee shop on wheels, pictured above) in action.

Bretts Own Brews – It’s All About the Coffee

Of course the coffee is the main event for Betty. Take your pick of the usual – flat white, espresso, cappucino or latte. I have to admit to being spoiled – I drink their excellent house blend and dark blend every day as filter coffee.

Brett’s Own Brews coffee is 100% Arabica, sourced from reputable Fair Trade suppliers and roasted in the UK. Take your pick of regular milk, or a selection of non-dairy milks, such as oat, almond or soya.

If you prefer your tea, choose from a number of biodegrable pyramids from Tea People.

Keeping it Sustainable

Bretts Own Brews is a strong supporter of sustainability, using Vegware cups, which are compostible, and bamboo stirrers. That goes even to the point of separating the compostible rubbish in the bin and sending that to a recycler.

Plastic packaging, not totally avoidable in a commercial food environment, is kept to a minimum.

And A Snack Alongside Your Coffee

There is a good range of snacks available from various places:

Sourdough based biscuits from Modern Baker, specialists in healthy baking.

Cakes, brownies and flapjacks from Nat’s Kitchen. I love that lemon tart!

Holistic Harborough

Though we saw some sun, it was a cold day, due to a cold wind. The Square in Market Harborough is, however a great spot for a small festival of this type. People on their way to do their shopping and the like have little choice but to pass through the square and see the festival stands.

Though small, the festival attracted a number of interesting stands covering health, hemp and similar clothing and plastic reduction. A great idea was the Festival Bookshop in its distinctive blue Citroen van.

I’ll let the photos tell the story.

  • Talking to customers. InsideBretts own Brews' Betty at Market Harborough.
    Talking to customers. Inside Bretts Own Brews’ Betty at Market Harborough.
  • Holistic Harborough on the right in The Square. Holistic harborough Festival in The Squaare.
    Holistic Harborough on the right in The Square.
  • Distinctive blue Citroen van of the Festival Bookshop. Holistic harborough Festival in The Squaare.
    Distinctive blue Citroen van of the Festival Bookshop.
  • Sustainable clothing using hemp, nettles and the like. Opposite Bretts Own Brews spot.
    Sustainable clothing using hemp, nettles and the like. Holistic harborough Festival in The Squaare.
  • Rural Trading - getting rid of the single use plastic in practical ways. Holistic harborough Festival in The Squaare.
    Rural Trading – getting rid of the single use plastic in practical ways. Holistic harborough Festival in The Squaare.
  • The Burritos stands seemed to busy.
    The Burritos stands seemed to busy.
  • A view of the Holistic Harborough Festival in The Square.
    A view of the Holistic Harborough Festival in The Square. Bretts Own Brews on the right in line with the steeple.

And the Next One

I believe Bretts Own Brews will be at the the Holistic Harborough events in June and September, as well as a number of other markets.

Given a sunny day, they should be good events.

One to pin to your board

Grab A Mug

Golden Coffee Mug - Vilankulos Sunrise on a Coffee Mug
A golden coffee mug.

Love your coffee? Drop in and check out this selection of coffee mugs from my store.

I use these myself to drink my Bretts Own Brews house blend coffee every morning.

They are a quality mug. Mine has now lasted around 3 years of daily coffee and dishwasher treatment.

The square - Market Harborough in Leceistershire.

Coffee and Good Food – A 3 County Saturday

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Call it a tour of the neighbourhood. It started out as a quick drive to check out a bakery and have some coffee. It ended up as a three county tour, featuring coffee and good food.

Brunch at the Bakergirl in Oxfordshire

Our daughter and her partner invited us for a drive to check out Bakergirl, in Great Tew, in Oxfordshire. That was a good way to start a Saturday!

Bakergirl's coffee shop in Great Tew in Oxfordshire.

We indulged ourselves, somewhat, having a taste from a range of ham and cheese and bakewell croissants, cheese and tomato foccacia bread and Chelsea buns. All washed down with some good coffee.

This is definitely good artisan baking. There is no way you will buy baked goods this good at the supermarket. The local area seems to agree, as there was a continual flow of people queuing to buy, and the cafe was full all of the time we were there.

We left with a couple of loaves of sourdough (the best bread!) and a couple of cinnamon buns.

With a bakehouse in nearby Wroxton, Bakergirl operates from a coffee shop in the Oxfordshire village of Great Tew. But pick your time – they’re open Thursday to Sunday.

Betty & Market Harborough in Leicestershire

Over our treats, our companions, our daughter & partner, commented that they were taking Betty to an event this coming weekend, and were going to check out the site in Market Harborough, an hour’s drive away. We decided to tag along.

Having worked out the layout of the square, and established that there is ample power and easy access for Betty, we took a wander around.

Coffee shops were not hard to find, as you might expect in a busy town centre. One caught our eye.

Interest wall in the coffee lounge at Capulus et Artem in Market Harborough.
Inside Capulus et Artem – an interesting wall display.

Capulus et Artem looked like an interesting little spot, offering “Clumsy Goat” coffee. It turns out that Clumsy Goat is a UK coffee supplier with an interesting story to the brand name, to do with goats eating coffee beans. Check it out on their website.

We took away a couple of cups. Not the best I’ve had, but not bad.

Capulus et Artem offers tattoos upstairs, with a small coffee lounge downstairs.

Holistic Harborough Poster
Holistic Harborough Poster

If you are around Market Harborough, in Leceistershire, on the 13th April 2019, you may enjoy Holistic Harborough in the The Square.

Holistic Harborough is a celebration of things holistic – vegan, vegetarian and related “free from” foods.

If you go you will see BOB and Betty, and, maybe The Beast!

BOB Betty and The Beast – Just Coffee

Perhaps a bit of explanation…

Betty behind The Beast after a successful coffee session.
Betty & The Beast

BOB is my favourite Brackley based coffee company Brett’s Own Brews. Focused on delivering great coffee in as sustainable way as possible, and supporting UK based suppliers, they concentrate on sourcing fairtrade coffee, which is roasted and packed in the UK. Expect single use coffee cups which are completely recyclable. Also expect vegan options of cream and milk with your coffee.

Betty is Bob’s first babe – a fully equipped 3 ton mobile coffee shop.

The Beast is the twin cab used to move Betty, as she is a heavyweight!

So, Come next Saturday, BOB and The Beast will will take Betty to Holistic Harborough. Drop in and see them!

Lunch In Towcester, Northamptonshire

Getting home took us past Towcester, so we decided to drop in for a late lunch at the The Olive Tree in Towcester. The Olive Tree has a much bigger sister restaurant in Milton Keynes.

The Olive tree is a restaurant offering Turkish and Mediterranean food. And we were not disappointed.

To us this is not a restaurant at which you order a meal, so it “Mezze with Extras”. A couple of hot mezzes for two, with various sides, including whitebait, shared between the four of us. It does confuse the waiters sometimes! An ordering mistake (on our part) also left us with a great plate of lamb and chicken. Though it was a somewhat bigger than we had planned, it was a superb meal, and not hugely expensive.

If you are around Towcester I would highly recommend the Olive Tree. Go and check it out for yourself.

And That was Three Counties in a day.

What an interesting Saturday – bouncing through three counties to enjoy good coffee, cakes and Turkish food.

That’s actually one of the beauties of living in the UK – you don’t have to drive far to find somewhere interesting and good food.

And do drop in on the Brett’s Own Brews Website, and perhaps have a look at the shop. It’s currently available in the UK from the shop, but drop them a line if you want to order from outside the UK.

The House Blend is my choice to start the day – a big mug of filtered coffee.

Coffee & Good Food in 3 Counties – For your Boards.

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The View from the Flight Deck Cafe, looking over the pond at the apron.

Flight Deck Cafe – Good Food and Aeroplanes

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I like to spend time around light aircraft. So the Flight Deck Cafe at Turweston Aerodrome is a great way to spend time, having a meal, or just a cup of coffee and cake.

With its big windows you can enjoy your food and watch the aircraft taking off and landing. On warm summer day sit on the balcony and just enjoy the place. The aerodrome is well situated to service the local towns. It can be quite busy, especially at weekends.

The Food

The menu offers a good selection of light bites and brunch plates. We have, over time, tasted a good portion of their meals and never had any complaints. Try an all-day breakfast – that’s great. Burgers, well stacked, are also good. It’s always worth having a look at the specials board.

The Flight Deck always has a selection of tasty looking cakes. Don’t want a meal? Just enjoy a coffee and cake. And, of course, the aeroplanes.

Some of the items on the menu are gluten-free and / or vegetarian. We have always found the staff very helpful with special dietary requirements

Check out the website for the cafe. Or their Facebook Site. Have a look at a couple of our favourites below.

That’s a vegetarian brunch, made by request. Tomatoes, mushrooms, avocado and rosti
A Flight Deck Cafe Hamburger. With bacon and very tasty.

The View

While enjoying your meal, also enjoy the view of aircraft landing, taking off and doing circuits. When the weather is good Turweston airfield can be quite busy.

Aircraft on the apron at turweston. The Cessna Citation jet is one I have rarely seen on my occasional visits.
Watching the aircraft movements from the Flight Deck Cafe. This appears to be a student doing “touch and go”
Seen from the Flight Deck Cafe – taxiing in.
Turweston Aerodrome visit to the Flightdeck Cafe. Photos from the balcony at the cafe.
Turweston Flight centre with the Flight Deck Cafe on the first floor.
Turweston Flight Centre with Flight Deck Cafe on the first floor and the runway on the far side.

The photo of the flight centre was taken on a winter breakfast visit to the cafe. Be sure that we’ll be back come spring and summer.

Why not drop in sometime yourself.

Pin a Bookmark of The Flight Deck Cafe

The Flight Deck Cafe - please pin this to your boards.
The Flight Deck Cafe – please pin this to your boards.
Yorkshire Burrito

A Sunday Roast in your Hand – Yorkshire Burrito

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After a busy and interesting morning walking around the market, it’s time for lunch. Camden Market offers plenty of choice, whether you want to sit in a pub, or retaurant, or, like us, explore the street food. We checked out a few places, but wanted something different. Then we spotted the Yorkshire Burrito stand.

On various visits to the market we have enjoyed many dishes from simple fish and chips to exotic Chinese and Vietnamese dishes. This was something unusual.

Okay, in England we know that they do things differently “up north” :). But what is a Yorkshire Burrito?

Put simply, it’s a good old Sunday roast, in your hand.

Take a large Yorkshire pudding. Add some stuffing and a few spinach leaves. Take your choice of beef, chicken or cauliflower cheese, add it to the Yorkshire pudding along with a splash of gravy and, most importantly, some crispy roast potatoes. Carefully roll it up and seal it in a panini toaster (or something like).

What a different way to do the traditional roast! And very tasty too.

We tend to think of “street food” in terms of exotic foreign dishes, so it’s great to see something very English as a street dish.

Actually, talking to the guys running the stall, it was only their second day. They had sold out early on the first day, and were heading that way very quickly when we visited. Good luck to them – it’s a great idea!

Have a look at their site: A special English hand meal – A Yorkshire Burrito.

Yorkshire Burritos waiting to be finished.
The Menu – Yorkshire Burrito fillings.
Finishing the Yorkshire Burrito – rolling it up. Then it is sealed in a sandwich toaster.

Have you tried a Yorkshire Burrito?

What sort of interesting but unexpected street foods have you discovered in your travels?

 

Pin a YorkshireBurrito Link

Brritos - Yorkshire Style

Breakfast al fresco at the Green Room in Brackley.

Breakfast at the Green Room in Brackley

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It has been a while since we visited The Green Room in Brackley, though we used enjoy a frequent weekend breakfast there. By chance we have now had two breakfasts there in a week. I have to say there have been some improvement in recent months.

When we arrived the place was busy, with the downstairs seating area full. It was a pleasant day, so we chose the one remaining table in the garden, rather than sit upstairs. As the photo shows, the table was rather small for a full breakfast for two! That was our choice, so no complaints – we could have had more table space upstairs.

Green Room Breakfast

The breakfast menu has always had a wide range of options, from simple toast and marmalade to the traditional Full English fry up. Vegetarian and high protein options are there and the staff are always willing to adjust the plate to suit your own tastes. My family doesn’t know how to use a menu – something is always changed!

Our breakfast started with a great cappuccino and dairy free hot chocolate, made with soya milk, which my wife assured me was good.

My full English was well cooked and tasty. For those who don’t know it a “Full English” is a fry up consisting of bacon, sausage, eggs (poached or fried), and often includes beans, hash browns and black pudding. A big test for me is how “clean” the plate is. Sometimes the full English is served with a lot grease on the plate. This is a no-no for me. I am happy to report that my plate was clean free of stray grease and well presented. As the photo shows I opted out of the beans! My wife’s “vegetarian with a bacon cheat” was similarly a well presented meal.

Other Meals

During the day, once breakfast is over (11:15 on weekdays, 11:45 on Saturdays) The Green Room offers a selection of interesting meals. Not your normal “pub food”, and always something imaginative. I have always found something good to eat there.

This is also a good spot to stop for a coffee. And there is always an interesting looking range of cakes on the counter.

Tapas is on offer during the evening, though I have not yet tried that. The Green Room also has an extensive range of gin, carefully paired with the right tonic. Enjoy that at the bar, or with your dinner.

Would I go back to The Green Room

Without question I would go back for breakfast or lunch. We do aim to try their Tapas at some point soon.

 

 

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Caught My Eye: Coffee and Black Ops

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Caught My Eye: Coffee and Black Ops

Coffee seems to have been in my life a lot recently. Testing coffee in a new business – Brett’s Own Brews (good for a post at a later date), acquiring a new coffee machine and doing some experiments. I’m not talking instant here. And I’m also not talking high street coffee. No, it’s been all about great coffee from various suppliers for different purposes.

Personal Coffee Machine

Like many people I do enjoy a good cup of coffee in the morning. Producing a really good cup of coffee can be a real hassle, especially when it comes to the clean up afterwards. Back in my student days I had a great little single cup filter machine. That’s useful – fill it up in the evening and load the filter with some good quality ground. In the morning, just switch it on and a few minutes later there’s a tasty, steaming cup of coffee ready to get you going for the day. Afterwards, just wash the cup and clean the filter and it’s ready for the next cup.

Morphy Richards SAingle cup coffee filter machine.

I haven’t had one of those for years, but I was given one recently and I’ve really been enjoying it. I’m currently enjoying a Rocko Mountain coffee from Monsoon Estates Coffee Company in Stratford upon Avon. In my view it certainly beats the Nespresso hands down.

Contact Coffee Company

I have also been given a bag of “Black Ops” from the Contact Coffee Company. Tried this one this morning, and it is everything it promises. Kick start your day with a mug of this and you will not be dozing off any time soon.

There’s not much “about” the company, but to quote from a search “Contact Coffee is an idea from two military men derived from our passion for Fitness, Military and most importantly, Coffee!”. Good coffee guys!

Coffee Blogger Italy

Rome Coffee Guide

Taking a trip to Rome? I also found this interesting post about coffee in Italy, from a Northamptonshire (that’s nearby!) blogger, Nicole. Now this looks good – I think I need a getaway soon!

Coffee Cups

And before you go, do have a look at the selection of coffee mugs on my site, featuring some of my photos from various places. One of these is my morning coffee favourite. A good solid, interesting mug which is dishwasher proof!

Golden Coffee Mug

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