The Fire Station Cheltenham

Things are hotting up in Cheltenham thanks to the latest new opening. Finally standing proud on St James' Square, the old fire station has had an extensive makeover, and is now the most talked about place in town. It's only had its doors open for one week, but I'm already certain that The Fire Station feels right at home.

The City Fund Pub Company are behind the refurb - I'm so glad someone has done something with the beautiful building - and they've created a space which seems appropriate for any time of the day. The glass roof ensures it's bright and airy for breakfast, brunch and lunch, and you'll be sure to catch the early evening sun over the summer. Then as it hits dinner, the well stocked bar will be churning out cocktails, and the dining spaces adopt a much more intimate feel. Essentially, come for whatever occasion.

Stripped back to brickwork, wooden flooring, and a few white walls, there are flashes of colour running throughout the restaurant thanks to the fiery orange leather seating and well placed greenery. Though it's definitely the stunning lighting, the large bar (with added ladder!) and the Robata Grill that are the main features.

The Fire Station was built in 1906, with firefighters vacating the premises 57 years ago. So having a large open flame grill taking central stage seems like a nice cheeky nod to its original use. Shame there's no pole left in there though... Probably for the best.

In the space of a week, I managed to visit the place twice; once to try out the menu, then again for the launch party. Other than the knowledge of the grill, I had no idea what to expect, and was pleasantly surprised when I saw a Middle Eastern streak running throughout the menu. Those Ottolenghi inspired ingredients are most predominant - harissa, tahini, dukkah, za'atar, chermoula - though there's a Mexican/Argentinian twist in there too - chimichurri, pico de gallo, ancho chilli and chipotle. It's all the kind of things I like to eat; fresh, flavoursome, packing a punch. They had me at hello.

Saturday night dinner started as any night should - cocktails! The Chap had a Barrel Aged Manhattan (£8.50), K had a Margarita (£7.50) and I had an Ume Sour (£9), which included Japanese Nikka whisky, plum sake, lemon juice, plum and lemon grass cordial, egg white. All delicious and not overly expensive for cocktails with decent ingredients.

For starters, we ordered a number of dishes to sample between us; the advantage of going with more than just one other person - more food. Other than the soup option, which is really just a solo job, I think this is the best way to go about it. Sharing's caring. 

Grilled mussels, smoked butter and chives (£7) were just as you'd expect, plump and juicy, though a tad on the small side, with a smoky, salty liquor. Hummus, dukkah and flatbreads (£5) is a go-to combination. The hummus had great texture and plenty of flavour thanks to the cumin-heavy dukkah, with the charred bread adding an extra depth. The Pomegranate molasses chicken wings with green harissa (£6.50) were an instant win - sticky, sweet and sour with a fragrant herbal hit - and the spicy N'duja croquettes with aioli (£6) barely lasted two seconds on the table before being devoured with sorrowful eyes, wishing we'd ordered more. 

All main courses at The Fire Station come with a house salad (baby gem lettuce, shallots, mint) and fries (skin on, hand cut), which come in big sharing bowls; a unique selling point I think. The Chap had Beef short rib, chipotle glaze (£15), where the meat was tender and the sauce was rich and smoky. Nice, a crowd pleaser, but perhaps a little safe? I had Cod, pine nuts, parsley (£14); really clean flavours for those who don't like dishes with too much fuss, the chargrilled lemon really made it what it was, as well as the crispy skin. K had the best of the three with the Bavette steak, chimichurri (£14). Basically black on the outside, it was perfectly pink in the middle, and the chimichurri added a herby garlic tang - a dream with the chips! We had a side of Chermoula aubergine, bulgar wheat and yoghurt (£4) too, and although nice, it definitely wasn't necessary.

Squeezing in dessert, between the three of us we ordered the Rum baba, charred pineapple, Brugal Añejo (£11 for 2 people); not enough rum or syrup for me, though as this was the first service, mistakes can easily be forgiven. And also the Little chocolate pot, ginger biscuit (£6); rich, gooey and utterly indulgent (I didn't share), the sprinkling of salt on top made it feel even more luxurious. I washed this down with a liqueur coffee (their coffee's from The Scandinavian Coffee Pod) and the other two scouted the rum and whisky selection.

When we returned a few days later for the jam packed opening party, we had Margaritas aplenty, and one of my favourite aperitifs, Brit Spritz - Kamm & Sons, prosecco, elderflower, soda (£8). Samples of food were floating round, but The Chap and I went and did a mini wine and food pairing class in the private dining room upstairs. I'd not really looked at the wine list the first time - shock horror - so I'm really glad we got the opportunity to do this.

Split into French, Rest of Europe and Rest of the World, the wines are pretty easy to navigate, with 6 whites, 6 reds, 2 rosés and a sparkler available by the glass; not too shabby for restaurant standards. Our host - the wine supplier for The Fire Station - took us through four wines matched to four different dishes from the menu, so you can use this as a handy heads up if you're planning on going soon! 

Pick d'Arenberg The Money Spider Roussanne from Australia's McClaren Vale to go with your N'duja croquettes // Ken Forrester's Chenin Blanc Reserve from South Africa to partner the grilled mussels // The Argentinian Humberto Canale Cabernet Franc goes wonderfully with the bavette steak // Go for the Recioto Valpolicella DOC dessert wine to finish things off with the chocolate pot.  

If I haven't tempted you to try it out, I'm not sure what will... I'm already planning on going again at the weekend! The 'On Toast' breakfast menu is a great idea, as is the 'Bottomless Brunch' (though slightly dangerous) - a 2 hour sitting where you can get two courses for £30 or three for £35 with unlimited Bellinis or Prosecco! The Roast Half Shoulder of Hardwick Lamb (£55 for 3/4 people) sounds great for a Sunday afternoon too.

Can't get hold of me? You'll probably find me at The Fire Station...

New Kid on The Block: The Stable

"When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie. That's amore."

... And yes Dean Martin, it really is amore with Cheltenham's latest food joint. Serving both pizzas and pies, this place is already a hit with me. Then adding in a healthy supply of cider, well that just sweetens the deal. Cheltenham, say hello to The Stable.

Having taken over the old D'fly/Ange Noir building on Clarence Street, and undergone extensive refurbishment, The Stable opened their doors just a month ago - prime time in the run up to Christmas. It's a big space, one which previous occupants have struggled to fill, but that doesn't seem to be the case here; locals have been constantly flocking to the restaurant to get their proper pizza fix, and I'm guessing it's because decent pizza is something that we've been missing in the town for quite a while.

Now I know The Stable is a chain - and we all know how I feel about chains - but this one is different. With just 13 locations, solely in the South West, there's a lovely story to how the business has got to where it is today. Long story short (you can read it all on their website if you wish), founders Richard and Nikki Cooper bought a hotel in Dorset that had an outbuilding/former stable at the back. Deciding to do something with it, to share with the locals, they started with the obvious; Dorset = Real Cider. Richard’s brother Andy, who also happened to be a chef, got in on the action and the trio began experimenting with creating some extraordinary sourdough pizzas. The concept was born; fine food and crafted cider set within an alluring atmosphere.

What I really like is that despite the growth, ingredients are still sourced locally to each venue (Gloucestershire bacon, Severn and Wye smoked salmon and cheese from nearby dairies feature on Cheltenham's menu). Inventive names and a truly local approach, as they say, "keeps The Stable grounded with its community and continues to win the hearts of its customers." I'd have to agree.

The Chap and I went along to the launch night, where we tried every pizza available - probably equating to at least 2 pizzas each - and sampled a hell of a lot of cider too. I definitely regretted telling the barman that my favourite kind was "the dangerous side of dry"... Ouch! To get a less hazy experience, we promised that we'd go back before the New Year, and sure enough we did.

It was utterly miserable weather, but we battled the wind and rain to get there, only to find that everyone else clearly had the same idea, and we struggled to find a table! You find a spot, order and pay at the bar, then wait for your food to come... Simple. And even though it was heaving, it really didn't take very long.

Having drank our weight in cider on our last visit, The Chap chickened out and tried one of the local ales, whilst I had a pint of Gwatkin's Silly Ewe (from just over the border in Herefordshire). There are over 100 ciders to choose from - sweet, dry, sparkling, you name it - though if you really can't decide, you can opt for a special tasting board; 5 different ciders, each 1/3 pint, for £7.50.

Foodwise, we ordered two pizzas to share between us, though we probably should have got one of the pies to get the full Stable experience (The Lamb Bam Boogie with lamb, rosemary, garlic potato and honey sounds delicious).

The Blue Forest (£10.50) was one of our faves at the opening, so we had to go for that again; herb roasted potato, Fowlers Forest blue cheese, roasted Spanish onions, English spinach, our fresh tomato sauce and mozzarella. Our other choice was The Blazing Saddle (£13.00); slow roasted pulled beef, Gloucestershire smoked bacon, caramelised onions, roasted red pepper and mozzarella. Topped with sour cream and jalapeños, it was flippin' fabulous.

Thin and crispy, The Stable's pizzas aren't too stodgy, leaving you feeling overstuffed, and with generous toppings, you're not left with any naked boring crusts - yay! It's a pizza dream.

Good food at a good price (and even better on Tuesdays, where you can get a pizza, side salad and a pint for a tenner)... Welcome to Cheltenham The Stable, I can tell we're going to be great friends.

Rock The Cotswolds: The Big Launch

June's been quite the month, and before I forget - though I really won't forget - I thought I'd tell you about a super special party I was invited to a few weeks ago.

On Friday 6th June (coincidentally my birthday!) approximately 275 rockers, movers, shakers, media, influencers and VIPs descended upon Blackfriars Priory in Gloucester City Centre to celebrate the launch of Rock The Cotswolds.

Founded by Oli Christie, of Neon Play, Cirencester, Rock The Cotswolds champions everything cool about this lovely area. Sure, we have some fine scenery, idyllic countryside and chocolate box villages, but we're not all tweed clad horse racing fanatics or the stereotypical red trousered snobs*. We have some truly innovative, creative, proactive people working within the Cotswolds, and its time to open everyone's eyes to this fact.

*I've no problem with either of these - embrace it, don't hate it.

There are fantastic companies designing and selling in some of the hottest global industries. There are hotels and restaurants galore. There are fashion labels that are recognised worldwide, and many a superstar who call the Cotswolds 'home'. This proves that not everything is centered around London, and you certainly don't need to escape to the big smoke in order to 'make it'. What Oli's determined to do with Rock The Cotswolds is to challenge those preconceptions, and make everyone realise that this is one of the best places to live and work in the UK.

The launch party toasted to the first selection of 'Rockers'; a hotlist of 75 people, businesses and events, which were picked from over 300 nominated in the previous months. You can see the full list on the website, along with all the trusty supporters - or 'fans' - that they've gathered along the way, but a few to mention are; 2000 Trees, Giffords Circus, Cheltenham Festivals, Superdry and Missy Malone. Oh and Cherry Press were responsible for the gorgeous invitations too.

The venue was not one I'd been to before - Blackfriars Priory - built in the 13th century on the site of Gloucester’s Norman Castle, it is the most well preserved medieval Dominican Priory in Britain. Only having recently reopened in 2012, it's now available for meetings, conferences, exhibitions, weddings and other private hires and events, like Rock The Cotswolds.

Drummers and circus performers entertained the guests as they arrived, and a quick red-carpet-style snap was taken as soon as you entered. (Tactical.. it's always good to get some nice 'before' photos. Everyone looks progressively worse as the night goes on, especially when there's a free bar!)

Cocktails and canapes were doing the rounds as people mingled, and explored the venue. There was a bit of celebrity spotting with Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen, Phil Vickery and Adam Henson, and there was a lady with a very large, but very friendly snake round her neck.

Relish Events sourced all the fabulous food; I had an amazing pizza courtesy of Baz & Fred, whilst the chap scoffed a burger from a local butchers. Later in the evening ice creams from Dolcetti made an appearance, along with cheese from Simon Weaver and tasty Hobbs House Bread. Erm, I may have eaten a lot of cheese.. one hell of a lot of cheese. I had to soak up the alcohol somehow right? As a result, I'm laying off the Brie for a while. Please don't judge me.

Drinks consisted of Black Moth Vodka, Brennen & Brown Gin, Heritage Wine, Arkell's Beer and Cotswold Cider, cheerfully served by the folks from Cirencester's Somewhere Else.

We had live music from Duke, who are MASTERS of beatboxing. They use only their three voices and one guitar - no backing tracks, looping or sampling - which is mega impressive when you hear the sounds they come out with. If you've not seen them locally, you might recognise them from X-Factor a couple of years ago, where they made it to judges' houses.

Glowsticks and dodgy shades were dished out as the DJ, Luke Delaney, played some cracking tunes. We even bumped into the Hobbs House gang - it seems to have become a bit of a thing now, hasn't it? - and we all busted our best moves well into the night.

The bus home is a little hazy, but I think the launch of Rock The Cotswolds made for one of the most exciting birthdays yet.. 'Til next year?