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October 09 The Saga of British Gas Part 1Some of you out there will know this story- I have told you about it on stressful moments. A couple of you have suggested that I tell my story to the world, so I'm telling it now (to a minute section of the population!!)
I'd like to say that it all started with this HILARIOUS notice to disconnect for £15,968.00. Which we were
absolutely delighted to receive in August, but it goes long back before that, before the flood......... (don't panic WE DO STILL HAVE GAS!!!!!!!)
To be continued.........
October 07 Rain rain rainWhy is it that it always rains on our days off?
James drove to Bristol market this morning at 4.30 AM . Fairly horrific drive back, but great produce this week. Great red cabbage and brussel sprouts (I know some people think that Brussel Sprouts are the work of the devil, but we love them)
New produce on the menu this week "Vitello Tonnato" - Lightly cured English Rose Veal, seared, cooked at low temperature in a water bath and then chilled and thinly sliced. This is then dressed with a tuna and basil pesto dressing. Might sound unusual, but its an Italian classic. The veal comes from a local farm a couple of miles away.
Bumped into somebody in the high street today who asked me when we would be doing our special set lunch. ITS ON NOW!! £10 for two courses!! To quote Jasper Gerard, the restaurant critic of the Telegraph our lunch is "credit-crunchtastic". October 02 Christmas is comingAnd the goose, (or geese I should say) over at Lucy Muller's Scrubditch Farm in North Cerney are getting good and fat, and will be a star turn featuring as "Assiette of Lucy Mullers Goose" on the December menu.
Table d'hote menus, Seasonal Menus and Gourmand have all now been made final, and are available to view on our website. www.allium.uk.net
Our December opening times are now agreed, and include Tuesdays and also Christmas Eve this year- come in and wish me happy birthday ( and no, its not a "big birthday" this year!!!!). September 30 Here we go againWell, I decided that it was perhaps time to finally set to and re-start our almost defunct blog. It's like a diary started as a teenager,which has run out of steam.
Its strange to look back at last years entries, and at our lovely restaurant under water!
So- whats new? Well, I'm pleased to report that Allium's title "Award Winning" keeps going ....
In the latest edition of The Good Food Guide Allium was awarded "South West Restaurant of the Year" and just last weekend Allium was awarded British Cheeseboard of the Year!!
Here we are picking up our awards!!
Juliet Harbut from the British Cheese awards wrote
"This multi award winning country restaurant has a fantastic British cheeseboard as a central feature of it’s dining experience. With some 25-30 British cheese featured on their trolley including many of this year’s award winning cheeses. Customers can choose as many or as few cheeses as they’d like with most selecting five to sample and enjoy. Traditional cheese and Artisan cheeses (or both) a featured heavily as are local West Country cheeses." More info at www.thecheeseweb.com
Elizabeth Carter from the Good Food Guide wrote 'Allium is a well deserved winner of the regional award. James Graham is something of a food crusader, championing high quality local produce on regularly changing, seasonal menus and delivering some fine and original cooking with a proper appreciation of the importance of flavour.'
My plan is to update the blog weekly with new about what's happening in Allium, and to let you know as the new seasons produce arrives in the kitchen.
For more information about feel free to email me mrsallium@googlemail.com
October 26 We've Opened!!Well- we've done it!!
I began to think that it would never happen, but we are finally open! The builders sre still malingering in the background finishing off a never ending snagging list, but the front door is open and we are begining to see both new and familiar faces. Thank you for everyones kind wishes.
Just a quick plug for our forthcoming wine tasting on Wednesday 7th November.
It will be featuring five wines that I have discovered during our time off ( though to be honest we drank alot more than that!!) 7.30 arrival for drinks, wine tasting and 3 course dinner, including wine and coffee. £37.50 per person. Menu to follow in the next couple of days.
Please telephone (01285) 712200 for reservations.
OUr local friendly wine importer, Two Rivers Wine will be supplying the wines for this tasting. See their website www.tworiverswine.co.uk for more great wines available to buy.
October 10 Things are going on apaceIt was fast and furious today. Within the space of one hour we had four huge lorries turn up delivering all the new kitchen fridges, bar fridges, front of house laundry, kitchen small equipment and the last of the large equipment. So apologies to all in Fairford for the traffic hold ups! It is all still in boxes, moving about the place is getting interesting. The guys are still working downstairs right now at 9.45pm, they've been down there since 9am. We are now on the final fix I suppose, and the kitchen fitters are trying to make sure that the new custom made range is going to fire up first time. James is going to be impossible to get out of the kitchen from now on, and he is going to need to spend time in it, I guess, to keep making everything for the Deli, which will be situated on the bridge in Fairford. All of our "Parma Style" hams and charcuterie were ruined in the flood but we will be starting them again as soon as we can.
October 08 The Ovens are here!!Well they are finally here- still in the cartons and all wrapped up, but they are here. The new ovens that is. They look georgeous! The boys can't wait to get their hands on them. The gas man has been in all day fixing all the pipe work for the new range, it all looks very imressive. I hope it all works as well as it looks. The floors are all finished in the bar and toilets, and look better than ever- though I have to say that the fumes coming upstairs through the floorboards from the sealant and adhesives are mind bending, even with all the doors and windows open.I will be starting to restock the wine room tomorrow, as all the bar fridges are coming on Thursday, so a bit of wine shopping is ahead.
We have a few new funky extras, mainly in the bar area, but I'm going to leave those to be a surprise (there has to be some left so I've been instructed).
No surprise however is that our December/Christmas menus are now available to view on the web. We will be open until Sunday 23rd December and will then close for a family Christmas until Thursday 27th December, when we open until New Years Day.
More pictures tomorrow!!
September 30 There's tiles on them there floors........Well they're here, at last tiles to go down!!
As soon as there is enough to see I'll take a photo!! Kitchen FloorOur new kitchen floor will be fitted today!!
It finally feels that we are starting to get somewhere. Once the floors in, then the cladding on the walls can go up, and then the equipment can be fitted!! A slight fly in the ointment is that our landlord has decided that he doesn't like the tiles, now they have arrived, but after heated discussion, we are putting them down anyway- we can't face any more delays. They are specialist tiles, made for use in shopping malls, so I'm more than confident that they will stand up to anything we throw at them.
So pictures to follow later today!
PS Just found out that we were a finalist in the British Cheesboard of the year again, and got award a highly recommended- not bad considering we have been closed throughout the summer! I'm really determined to actually win the thing next year. September 29 English Regional Wine ListAnd here is the English Regional Wine List, I can't do the whole list, as its
too big!
Regional Wines from South West England
Cornwall White Bacchus Quality Wine12.5% abv Camel Valley Vineyard, Nanstallion, Bodmin, Cornwall 2006 £33.00 A delicate, fruity, dry white wine. Silver Medal in Decanter Wine Awards 2006. Atlantic Dry Quality Wine 12.5% abv (Richensteiger/Schonberger) Camel Valley Vineyard, Nanstallion, Bodmin, Cornwall 2004 £28.50 Fresh and mouth-wateringly crisp with herbaceous aromas. Devon White Mayval (Madeleine Angevine/Seyval Blanc) 11%abv Manstree Vineyard, Shillingford-St-George, Exeter, Devon 2004 £19.50 Highly commended 2005 SWVA. Fresh citrus flavours Siegerrebe 10.5% abv Manstree Vineyard, Shillingford-St-George Exeter, Devon 2004 £24.50 Light and herbaceous, with the taste of Devon hedgerows
Red Sharpham Red (Dornfelder/Rondo) 11%abv Devon Regional Wine, Totnes, Devon 2004 £25.00 Dry red with rich black fruit flavours Gloucestershire White Willow Brook (Off Dry) 11%abv Three Choirs Vineyard, Newent, Gloucestershire 2005 £19.50 Soft and delicate rose petal aroma, with lightly spiced fruit flavours Fumé 11% (Seyval Blanc) Three Choirs Vineyard, Newent, Gloucestershire 2003 £26.50 Aged in oak with a blend of vanilla and crisp fruit flavours Mayhill Medium (Huxelrebe/Madeleine Angevine/ Reichensteiner)10.5% Three Choirs Vineyard, Newent, Gloucestershire 2005 £20.50 A burst of tropical fruit flavours, leaving a crisp clean finish Rosé Premium Rosé (Pinot Noir) 10.5%abv Three Choirs Vineyard, Newent, Gloucestershire 2005 £19.50 (Off-dry Rosé full of the aroma of strawberries and summer fruits) Red Cellar Door Four Oaks Three Choirs Vineyard, Newent, Gloucestershire 2004 £30.00 (medium bodied & packed with rich ripe flavours of plums and blackcurrant). Premium Selection Red (Triomphe/Rond/Regent) Three Choirs Vineyard, Newent, Gloucestershire 2005 £21.00 (A light dry red very easy to drink with the aroma of Blackcurrant and strawberry) Beer ListAs promised, here is the Cotswold Beer List that I have put together......If anyone out there has any good local recommendations, do let me know!
House Beer Selection
Local Beer, Cider and Perry
Old Hooky, Hook Norton Brewery, Hook Norton, Oxon 4.6% 500ml £4.00 A Cotswold classic- beautifully balanced beer, fruity, with a well-rounded body and the echo of Crystal Malt. Hobgoblin, Wychwood Brewery, Whitney, Oxon 5.2% 500ml £4.25 Powerful full-bodied copper red, strong roasted malt with a moderate hoppy bitterness and slight fruity character Fidlers Elbow, Wychwood Brewery, Whitney, Oxon 4.5% 500ml £4.00 Golden and refreshing beer, a wheat-brewed summer ale Circlemaster, Wychwood Brewery, Whitnet, Oxon 4.7% 500ml £4.00 brewed using a unique blend of Plumage Archer Barley Malt, organically grown on Prince of Wales Duchy Estate in Gloucestershire. Refreshing citrus and malt flavour, rounded off with a spicy bittersweet finish. Cats Whiskers, Whittington Brewery, Newent, Glos 4.2% 500ml £4.00 Medium-bodied beer, with a gentle sparkle and a rich hop flavour, refreshing and characterful Nine Lives, Whittington Brewery, Newent, Glos 3.6% 500ml £3.50 This smooth, easy-drinking beer has found favour with many CAMRA enthusiasts Whittingtons Summer Pale Ale, Newent, Glos 4.0% 500ml £3.75 Refreshing, but retains a full bodied flavour and a naturally sparkling texture Bath Gem, Bath Ales 4.1% 500ml £3.50 A rich aroma of hops and malt develops a full texture in the mouth. It has a long, deep, bitter-sweet finish Cotswold Premium Lager, Chipping Norton, Oxon 5.0% 350ml £3.50 Crisp and full flavoured, this premium lager is made from Liberty and Hersbrucker hops and Maris Otter malted barley Westons Organic Cider, Much Marcle, Herefordshire 6.5% 500ml £4.50 Gold Award IFE 2001 and winner of the Best Alcoholic Drink at the Organic Food Awards 2004, 2003 and 1998. An easy to drink cider with a ripe apple aroma and distinctive flavour Westons Perry, Much Marcle, Herefordshire 7.4% 500ml £4.75 A superior quality lightly sparkling perry, crafted to deliver a fresh medium dry fruity flavour
September 26 Countdown to Opening......Well. Here I am again, sitting in front of my computer. But wait- something is diferent this time....I have great news!! Our opening date has been set. We are now able to take bookings from Wednesday 17th October.
So please form an orderly queue.....
No, seriously we are getting very excited at the thought of re-opening. I will be posting the new menu in due course, (once I've prised them out of the hands of James and Nick). I am working on the wine list, giving it a quick spruce up, replacing the wine lost to the floods.....New for October will be our Cotswold Beer list, and the welcome return of our Regional English Wine List. They are both ready, so I will post details tomorrow.
No news from UKtvfood re Local Food Heros, but the regional finals will b shown in November...dates to follow. September 13 UpdateJust a quick update... sorry not much has happened around here that is worth reporting on!! The walls do now have render on them, and the new kitchen has been ordered, but to look at, well, not much has changed !!
It was fun to see the restaurant in its temporary persona,"The Ostrich" but we were amazed how much filming was neccessary for such a small amount of air time on TV!! Fairford looked beautiful on all the shots, made us realise how lucky we are to live here. Oh yes, for the lady who keeps telephoning me to say how disgraceful it was that we let The Ostrich take over for a few weeks. GET OVER IT!!! 1) I was having a baby!! 2) They paid us 3) Everyone else is fine about it so I don't really think that saying our reputation is ruined is correct. 4) We have your number memory saved on the phone, so we wont be picking up again as we feel that you have now registered your complaint and we have tried to explain with no success!!
I can't say a big enough thank you to all of you who have contact us over the past 2 months to offer comiserations and to help keep our chins up. It has been the worst time ever, but it has brought out the best in everyone. We do feel that we are now on the home stretch, but we just have Beeches Brook to cross before we past the finish post!! We haven't let our breath out yet, we're to afraid to!!!
I will post some more pictures as soon as there is anything worth showing to you all. In the mean time, we hope to see some of you in October when we re-open.
August 29 Money, at last!!Well its here!! We can't quite believe it, but the cheque is actually, really, really here! After Caterer & Hotelkeeper Magazine ran a story about our fustrations a cheque turned up!!
"The Restaurant" is being screened this evening on BBC2 at 8 o'clock - The Ostrich is the restaurant to watch- see if you recognise anyone!! August 21 Fireworks over Fairford!!
So, no money as such, but a promise to have an interim cheque over to us ASAP!! Quite a relief I can tell you. We'd started to think that it was never going to happen.
All the toilets have been completely stripped out
now, Gil the builder only refitted all the toilets last
year, so its breaking his heart to rip them all out again.
As requested, a picture of Gil at
work, possibly the biggest builder of them all! Along with Ginger, who is busy pulling
(see the hight difference anyone?)
By the way- it has been pointed out to me that I have been refering to Gil as "gill" SORRY GILL!!!
We have found some bad floor joists which have to be replaced, and of course we have to get below the floorboards dry too! We do have a secret weapon, however!
I think it looks like something off the incredibles!! August 15 Ranting and Raving TodayAgghhhh!
There, that made me feel a bit better. I'm afraid I'm going to subject you all to a rant today (they don't call me doberwoman for nothing you know). I know its not good to write in a bad mood, but I've waited until 5 o'clock and I'm still ranting... so here goes...
I HATE INSURANCE COMPANIES!!!
4 weeks on and still nothing....as ours is a big claim, strangly enough as everything is a write off, we have to basically prove that we are not trying to pull a fast one.I wish. Still Fortis insurance certainly enjoy dotting the Is and crossing the Ts. You'll see the fireworks over Fairford when we ever get a cheque from them.
In case they are looking, here are the latest euipment removals
The last of the kitchen floor is in the skip, along with the toilet floors
(my new beautiful slate floor that is.)
We've emptied out the bar and its all stripped out. All the kitchen and bar kit is now sitting in the restaurant!!
Our new opening date is 1st October (our 15th wedding anniversary)but if it keeps raining like it is today, I think we will be relaunching with a floating restautant!!
August 13 The Glorious 13thThe Glorious 13th
For those of you wondering why its not the glorious 12th, yesterday was Sunday, so no shooting!!
For those of you wondering why its glorious on either day, well its the start of the Grouse season. This year is supposed to be very good for Grouse, and although we can't serve any in the restaurant (believe me you really wouldn't want to be sitting in it at the moment!!) James is always available to cook at your home, be it Grouse or another dish of your choosing! Just send us a message!! (Polite ones only please!!!)
I'll be posting some more pictures later on, of the latest scenes of devastation in the restaurant- the kitchen is now completely ripped out, moving onto the bar today!! August 09 Thursday's UpdateThe floors in the kitchen are booked to be fitted 17th September, so we will then be able to put all the new equipment in. Speaking of which, we have some very exciting but still top secret information about our new kitchen, I will post all the news and gossip about it as we find out!!
On a even more exciting note, Deli Allium is finally coming to fruition in Fairford, and we hope to open in October (busy old Autumn for us!!) selling our own produced breads, potted goods and chutneys, as well as produce from all our small local producers, to hopefully include fresh meat and poultry to be available on Saturday mornings from a pre-ordered list - it will be strictly seasonal and naturally limited in supply, but weekend entertaining will never be the same again, after all if you can't cook/wont cook you can always CHEAT!!!
Cookery demos and classes will also be held at the Deli, (James is going to clone himself at some point in the next few weeks), and of course it will have a great cheese counter!!
August 08 Builders at Work!!Thought you might all like to see the current state of the kitchen after three days work from the builders.....they say it must get worse before it gets better......
This the remains of our original quarry tiled floor, which popped off with the force of the water....
As we pull off all the damp plaster, we are discovering the original features of the building, which used to be in part a tanners and other commercial buildings from the 17th century onwards. To the right we discover a fireplace behind where our combi ovens normally stand...
And although our extraction system survived, the wall underneath didn't (and the ovens didn't either for that matter!)
The walls all have to be hacked off to at least a meter above the flood line... I suppose we will get there eventually and our builders headed up by Gill, are doing sterling work (it helps that they all ate in the restaurant 2 weeks before the flood, and want us to get open fast so that they can come in for a Gourmand Tasting Menu!!!) |
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