Bye Bye Blogspot

After much deliberation, I think it's time to officially call it a day on this blog. Let's face it, I've not written anything on here since April. I'd hardly noticed, and I'm sure you hadn't either.

What initially started out as a webpage to post pictures of my paintings post-uni, it somehow turned into this 'thing'. I wasn't sure what I was doing - I still don't - but it was a platform for me to share my love of food and drink and some of the places I like to go to. It was sincere, there were no expectations of me, I was doing it for myself and didn't care if anyone actually read it or not. Things have changed.

For the past year or two, the only posts I've done have been for meals comped by restaurants and PR companies in exchange for a review. That's not to say that I only ever go out on a freebie - there's a reason I'm always in my overdraft you know! It's clever marketing; the power of bloggers and influencers has boomed, and although I take part, it's just not how I started out.

I remember the first time I was invited to a restaurant in order to review it. I was naïve, spending far too much time trying to write the best thing I could in order to justify my free meal... Only to then realise that multiple other bloggers went to the same place that month, ate the same things that I did, basically having the exact same content. In essence, you end up getting the same blog post over and over again, each with a different person's "voice" on it.

Meat And One Veg Blog wrote about it recently in a post entitled 'Why I am not accepting any more free meals'. Fair play, that's a bold move, and there are quite a few things he says which strike true with me (and I'm sure many others too). "Looking back I can clearly see on a few occasions that I have been too generous with my opinion. Occasionally I have chosen to miss off dishes that may not have been very good; embellish others that were average." We're expected to write something good about a place because they've invited, fed, and sometimes even watered us for free.

Despite having that niggle that I may be selling my soul to the digital devil, I'm not about to rule these opportunities out completely. Bloggers can be a great tool for places to boost interest, and as Lewis Loves said in a post, "Sometimes these businesses are savvy enough to market their own brand and don’t need much help, although they are almost always glad of the continued support. However, for every King and Queen of the Retweets, there are many more small businesses who have something really special but can’t seem to get the message out there. We like to champion them to as many people as we can..."  

It's all about Social Media these days, and for me that no longer feels like my Blogspot page, Instagram has basically made it redundant. I don't have enough time or energy to write lengthy posts any more - other people seem to do it much better and more frequently than I ever could - so with the instant visual appeal of Instagram, it just makes sense to focus my efforts there. I'm sure half the people who clicked on my blogpost links only looked at the photos anyway.

It's not just the app to add a nice filter on your photos any more, it's a global guidebook with geotags and hashtags galore. It's 100% my go-to reference when looking to go out for dinner; photos with informative captions can tell you a lot more about a place than a TripAdvisor review from someone whose personal preference may well be Wetherspoons Curry Club on a Thursday.

That said, it's also full of clever promos, ads and sponsored posts, which give a false sense of reality and unhealthy ideals (the Scarlett London Listerine shebang going on right now for example). You'd be a mug to believe everything you see online. I might post every #WineWednesday, but 9 times out of 10 I'm not drinking that wine on that Wednesday.

But back to the point. Despite my decision to stop blogging and just use Instagram, I won't be changing anything that I'm currently doing. My feed is already mostly food and drink I've paid for at places I've chosen to go to, but if I do get comped a meal, I'll be transparent about that (as well as making sure I stick to my rule of tipping and buying beverages). Sure you can support local by promoting those local places, but you can also support them by spending your pennies there.

I'm not a business and I'm not a brand; I won't be asking you to double tap my posts if you like the look of something in order to gain likes and followers. I'm a person, and as my profile quite simply says: "Cheltenham dweller. Lover of all things food and drink."

The Ivy Montpellier Brasserie, Cheltenham

 The Ivy Montpellier Brasserie certainly needs no introduction. It's the snazzy big name that arrived to town just in time for Christmas, the place that was fully booked before it had even opened its doors, and the place that dominated all the local social media channels... Admittedly, I joined the bandwagon too.

But whilst the hype of the new begins to fade, and booking a table becomes a lot easier, I thought I'd share my thoughts and experiences (especially after an article by Gloucestershire Live on their Trip Advisor reviews... Slow news day perhaps?).

The former Lloyds Bank building has had more than a little spruce up, and it now feels as though it has found its purpose. Of course they've gone down the Cheltenham horse racing route - some of it tasteful, some of it too much - but overall, they've spent enough on it to ensure it oozes elegance.

The dome and the central circular bar really is a thing of beauty. This is where you want to be seated, and I've felt a little disappointed on the times where I've been ushered elsewhere. Fine in the daytime, when you can look out during your leisurely lunch to people watch, but come the evening, you miss out on the theatre of the bar. And that's worth noting; The Ivy does all day dining. None of this kitchen closure at 3pm that catches me out every time everywhere else. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner, and as far as I can see, there's no weakest link.

The menu is extensive, with a mix of classic dishes - fish and chips, steaks, burgers - alongside ones with more of an Eastern influence - spot ingredients like ponzu, miso, wasabi and yuzu. Enough choice for the fussiest eaters, and plenty for those who'd like something fancier. Grilled whole lobster?... The food won't blow you away, but that's not what you come here for. You go to Michelin Star places for that. Instead, it's familiar, well executed, and consistently good.

The a la carte has gone through a seasonal change in the past month; the Atlantic Sea Scallops (£11.95) no longer comes with truffle risoni, parmesan, black truffle and sweet potato crisps - shame, it was a winner - but now a lighter spring time combination of pea purée with broad beans, lemon zest, sea cress and crispy shallots. The Soft Goats Cheese Salad (£6.50) with shaved apple with golden raisins, hazelnuts, pickled walnuts and Belgian endive has replaced the festive Stilton and cranberry version. And asparagus now features in many dishes.

The Ivy has a lot of main-stayers though; the dishes that do so well that they'll never be taken off the menu. The Steak Sandwich "French Dip" (£13.50) packed full of rare roast beef, with a rich Burgundy sauce and thick cut chips is a great shout for lunch. The Steak Tartare (£9.25) is also excellent, seasoned with Tabasco dressing, cornichons, shallots, parsley, and topped off with an egg yolk. And although I feared that the thinly beaten rump steak as part of the Steak, Egg & Chips (£14.50) was going to be tough and over-cooked, it was full of flavour and just as juicy as any other steak. Significantly cheaper too.

The Crispy Duck Salad (£7.95) features on the original Ivy London menu; warm crispy duck with five spice dressing, toasted cashews, watermelon, beansprouts, coriander and ginger. A very delicious thing it is too. And The Ivy Shepherd's Pie (£13.75) is legendary across the board. Slow-braised lamb shoulder with beef and Wookey Hole Cheddar potato mash; rich and comforting.

Before I forget, don't ignore the snacks. The Truffle Arancini (£5.50) are just as addictive as they are piping hot when they come fresh from the kitchen. And the mountain of Zucchini Fritti - courgette fries with lemon, chilli and mint yoghurt - could feed an army; a steal for £5.75.

On my last visit, I tried their Smoked Salmon & Crab starter (£11.50). The most rectangular pieces of salmon known to man, with a small amount of crab and dill cream and rye soda bread. Predictably "nice" but probably a poor choice on my front... Though not as poor as tuna "special" I had when they first opened. Not special at all as it turned out. We'll pretend that never happened.

My main of Roast Half Chicken (£14.95) was more than redeeming. Off the bone and flattened, with the best kind of crispy, crackling skin. A smattering of gremolata - could have done with more - and a few watercress stems - again, more - were a pleasant touch, but it was the generous helping of rosemary jus that really made it. A side of Baked Sweet Potato (£3.75) with harissa yoghurt and mint and coriander dressing was lovely, though Olive Oil Mashed Potato (£3.50) or Truffle and Parmesan Chips (£4.50) would've probably been better suited, if only to help mop up all that gravy. 

The desserts have it all; creamy, fruity, chocolatey, and a couple of options for each. Frozen Berries (£6.95) with warm white chocolate sauce for the more health conscious, melting Chocolate Bombe (£8.50) for everyone else. Watch as the hot salted caramel sauce collapses the chocolate dome, revealing a vanilla ice cream and honeycomb centre; showy, but not as showy as the Apple Tart Fine (£7.95), which gets its own Calvados flambé (and is the best of the bunch in my eyes).

The Lemon Meringue Alaska (£7.25) is also delicious; baked meringue with a tart lemon ice cream, lemon curd sauce and baby basil. It's a decent size too, so could easily be shared if you can't fully commit to dessert. But if you truly are stuffed to the gills, yet still want something sweet, I'd suggest going with the Salted Caramel Espresso Martini (£8.00). If nothing else, it'll give you a caffeine kick to help get you up and out of the door. 

Cocktails are pretty nice at The Ivy. My go-to is the Angel’s Share (£9.50), a long Mojito style drink that combines kumquats and kaffir lime leaves with Havana rum. Super refreshing. The Royale (£10.25) - their take on a Kir Royale - is a fine pre-dinner drink too; Champagne with a slug of Sipsmith sloe gin, Briottet Rose liqueur and hibiscus. However, if you want drama - of course you do - the Cotswold Passion (£10.25) comes complete with half a flaming passion fruit.

The wine list is maybe not quite as exciting though. There's plenty to choose from - sure - but a lot of them have a big mark up and quite a hefty price tag. Not unusual to be fair. And that said, I think we almost drank them out of Mosel Riesling on one occasion, slipped down very easily at £37 a pop. The Sicilian Frappato is a tasty red for £31 too. I just wish they'd leave the wines on the table; I don't want my wine in an ice bucket on the other side of the room. It's faffy having someone come and top up your glass every few sips, and it makes it really difficult to know how much you've had or how much you have left.

Which brings me to service. That's what The Ivy prides itself on. Here, I've had service so charming that I've gladly paid the 12.5% charge they whack on. Though on the flipside, I've had service so awkward and clunky that I've asked for it to be taken off (I hate being that person). I guess no one can be on their A-Game every single day, and with a restaurant with well over 100 covers, it must be tricky to juggle.

There are mixed opinions, there always are, but I think people forget that it is a chain. It's not The Ivy West Street, the iconic 100 year old London restaurant. It is a chain. Yes there are similarities, both in appearances and dishes, but it's just one of a number of grills/brasseries/cafés that have opened up across the country under The Ivy Collection name. 

No matter what anyone says, the Montpellier Brasserie is always going to do well in Cheltenham, isn't it? It'll get (and probably already has got) regular customers that come back week in/week out, its glamour will instantly catch the attention of visitors to the town, it will thrive during race meets, and that bar will forever be Instagrammed. 

Three Days of Kindness with Kindness & Co

It's cold. It's grey. It's wet. Ugh… January blues. It's easy to look past the rubbish weather as you near the end of the year; all the twinkly lights and dazzling decorations are a good distraction whilst you count down the days until there's "NO MORE WORK." Get your coat, you're on holiday.

Christmas is all fun and games - fine foods and festive drinkies galore - but you don't come out the other side unscathed. It's the extra glug of brandy and the extra pour of cream - 'cause Christmas - not to mention the mountain of chocolate that could be rationed for the entire year (definitely won't), the never-ending cheese board (not another cheese sauce?), and the open bottles of port and sherry that demand to be drunk before they go past their best (yes, that's a thing).

And so we find ourselves in The New Year Awakening. The merry mischief's over and you're noticing a few more of those unwanted lumps and bumps. "Curse you mince pies!" *shakes fist* Thankfully, Cheltenham's health food gurus Kindness & Co are here to prise you out of that post Christmas gluttony rut with their new food program.

Branded as Three Days of Kindness, the town centre café prepares you three days of nutritious breakfasts, lunches and dinners, with snacks to curb those hunger pangs. Everything is made fresh daily, boxed up in recyclable packaging, and you can either collect or have it delivered.

Health kicks are all the rage at this time of year, and as we see the back of dry January - phew - it's about now that people give in to their fad diets. Whilst you're encouraged to avoid caffeine and alcohol over the three days, Kindness & Co's package is more of a focus on wellbeing rather than restricting yourself. The time you'd normally spend planning, shopping and cooking meals is now free to concentrate on your own health, and taking the decision making out of eating means you're more likely to stick to the plan (the £105 price tag is a good incentive too).

They say that by eating three balanced meals a day - no coffee, sugary snacks or post-work glasses of wine - and drinking 1.5-2 litres of water a day should not only help you get a better nights sleep, but you should feel lighter, energised and more alert. So before Kindness & Co officially launched their plan, I got the chance to test it out to see if it was as good as it sounded.

I'm no stranger to these kinds of programs, I've done juice cleanses with Jay Halford at The Core before (who's coincidentally now working with Kindness & Co) and also with Applebar in the centre of town (which I'd highly recommend). I'm used to cutting out the crap when I need to, and in doing the 5:2 Diet, I can feel satisfied on not a huge amount of food. And that's the first thing I noticed; there was quite a lot of food! Here are my Three Days of Kindness menu boxes:

Breakfast: Muesli, yoghurt, fresh fruit
Lunch: Quinoa Tabbouleh with coriander, mint, tomato and red onion
Dinner: Veggie chilli served with roasted sweet potato

Breakfast: Raspberry smoothie bowl with nuts and banana
Lunch: Butter bean puree, tomato salsa, wilted kale and roasted courgette
Dinner: Sweet corn fritters with baby spinach and tomato salsa

Breakfast: Fresh berry overnight oats
Lunch: Baked cauliflower, chickpea, rocket and cranberry salad with tahini dressing and pistachio
Dinner: Garden pea and mint soup

Snacks each day: A piece of fruit, a pot of nuts and two Kindness Energy Balls... I'm a sucker for an energy ball.

I looked forward to picking up each day's food; there's something exciting about being cooked for (The Chap should take note). And not having to think about meals for a few days felt like I gained some freedom (because I basically think about food 24/7). What a luxury. 

None of the boxes contained those free-from substitutes or lengthily-named ingredients, they were all just packed with familiar, inherently healthy foods. The cauliflower, cranberry and tahini salad was a joy to eat - I'm going back to Kindness & Co to get my hands on some more - and there was no chance you'd miss meat in the spicy bean loaded chilli. 

I tend to eat a lot of these things at home anyway, so for me it's not something I'd splurge on, but for those that want to hit the ground running, it's a great way to get a head start. That said, I was inspired to make a big batch of overnight oats for the rest of the week's breakfasts, and tomato salsa has been creeping into our dinners much more than it did before.  

I personally didn't lose any weight, but Kindness & Co isn't really about that. I did, however, feel more in tune with myself and really enjoyed having some "time off". Healthier and happier; that's what it's all about, right?

If you're interested in the Three Days of Kindness program, then check out Kindness & Co's website or pop in to chat to them. It's £95 if you collect - they're pretty flexible - or £105 to be delivered within a certain radius of Cheltenham. Easy.

Future Foods: Wish Lists for 2018

"New Year, New Me?" Nah, not my thing either. But seeing as we're now a couple of weeks into 2018, it's time to establish those goals. 2017 was pretty spectacular - weddings, holidays, honeymoons - meaning this year has a lot to live up to. A LOT. So what is it that I want to do this year? Where do I want to go? Resolutions, wish lists, whatever you want to call them... Let's do this.

As I sit here typing this, stuck in bed feeling totally wiped out, health and wellness should be first on my agenda. It's all cleanses, diets and detoxes shoved in our faces as soon as we hit January 1st, and whilst I do really need to shift a few pounds (plus a few more), it's more about looking after myself than anything else. I always struggle talking about my IBD issues - bowel problems is pretty embarrassing after all - and although I'm lucky it's not so severe, I still get flare ups which bring with them a whole host of symptoms. I've learnt that sleeping it off helps, despite being plagued with guilt for missing work, but it's taking better care of myself that's the overall key. Fear not, I'm not going full on cabbage soup. It's all about balance, right? And there's plenty of fun to be had, so I'm determined not to miss out...

At the end of last year, Time Out published their list of the 100 Best Dishes in London, and with a pal we've decided to try and eat as many of them as possible. I've managed to tick a few off over the years already; BBQ-spiced crispy pigs' ears at Duck & Waffle, salt beef beigel at Brick Lane Beigel Bake, bacon naan roll at Dishoom, a custard doughnut at St John Maltby, pappardelle with beef shin ragù at Padella, confit pork bao at Bao and that EPIC Reuben sandwich at Monty’s Deli. I wonder how far we'll get.

The Chap and I have a few places in the pipeline already, starting with The Bell Inn Langford at the end of this month. After receiving such high praise from Giles Coren in The Times at the weekend, ‘On the final day of 2017, I had not just the best mouthful of the year, but the best mouthful of my life’, I imagine it'll now be rather tricky to get a table! The Mousetrap Inn in Bourton on the Water has also been on the cards for a long time, finally we've booked in for Feb - cheers Frank! 

March sees The Chap's birthday, where we'll be celebrating at Le Champignon Sauvage followed by a jaunt to Hereford. BEEFY BOYS. I've heard only good things about those burgers; Instagram has been teasing me with them all year. And there's a trip to Manchester planned for April too, where I expect there'll be a weekend of good eats and drinks. I'm on the hunt for recommendations if any of you have some, though I've already located a Sherry bar. Yes Shez!

It's the big 3-0 in June; how has that happened? So obviously a month of merriment is required. So far all I've narrowed down is going to Bristol and hitting up Box-E; a pint sized restaurant in a shipping container at Wapping Wharf.

Bristol's one of those places I yearn for. It's not far away, and cheap enough to get to, but it's finding the time to fit it in that's the issue. I'm desperate to get myself to Asado to try one of Lucien's mega burgers, Root for more plant based foods, and Swoon for some of the best gelato around.

Locally, I'm still yet to get to The Coconut Tree, and now they've opened up in Oxford and soon in Bristol, it's become a matter of urgency! Cocktails and spicy Sri Lankan food; why haven't I been? The relatively new Korean place down Cheltenham's Lower High Street, Ginger & Garlic, is somewhere I have been to though. The beef bulgogi hot pot was incredible, but I'm itching to go back to try their other dishes, all with a healthy supply of kimchi.

With 100 dishes to try and scoff in London, I also have a list of places I'd like to get to, which is bound to increase throughout the year:

• The Pilgrm - to stay in those BEAUTIFUL rooms and have cocktails in the lounge.
• Little Duck Picklery - from the team behind Duck Soup and Raw Duck, a fermenting kitchen and eatery. 
• Santo Remedio - Mexican in London Bridge. I want to try the guacamole with grasshoppers!
• Londrino - for a taste of Portugal. 
• Xu - the guys from Bao with gorgeous Taiwanese dishes. All of them my way thanks.
• Duddell's - for that Peking duck and goldfish shaped dim sum.
• Winemakers Deptford - good food and good wine. 

And one final thing. After looking at all my posts from last year, shamefully every single one was from where I'd been invited to do a review, or part of a bloggers event. A free meal isn't what I started doing this for. It's a perk - sure- and gives great exposure to new openings or new menus, but I do question having a whole host of bloggers posting about the same place at the same time. I'm not a brand or treat my blog as a business, I just bloody love food and drink. I'd be a fool to turn down excellent opportunities - I won't be doing that - but I'm going to consciously make more of an effort to post about the places I go to and pay for with my hard earned cash (99% of the time). With a quieter and less expensive year than last, this I think I can do. 

2018, let's be having you! 

Indian Fine Dining in Cheltenham: Prithvi

Prithvi is one of those places that's on every local food lovers bucket list. It's the swish Indian restaurant that won't fill your letterbox with takeaway leaflets, won't give you shoddily made curry, and certainly won't let you order chips as a side for your main (not that I'm a chip-o-phobe or anything).

Despite being so unassuming, it's the place that everyone in town talks about. The place at the top of most Cotswold based 'best restaurant' lists. The place in all the national food guides. The place that is notoriously hard to get a table at on a weekend... Essentially, it's the place.

Although I've been on a handful of occasions (see my post from '14), every time I walk past I find myself peering in at the lucky diners sitting in the window, desperately trying to see what they're eating. It's no good. I never get there at the right time. I only ever see empty plates - sigh - or people casually quaffing their wines - jealous - and the blinds are always drawn to the perfect height so I can't see any further in - humph. Still, it makes the green-eyed monster in me hungry for another visit and at the end of last year my luck came in.

You've probably seen all the posts from various local bloggers about 'Lunch with Prithvi' already - I hope you're not bored of reading about it - but because I couldn't attend the event, I did get an invite to return for dinner at a later date. Side note: Tuesdays and Wednesdays often have availability if you want to avoid the wait.

Prithvi has had a spruce up since our last visit - new furnishings, jazzy carpets, classy wallpaper - and it feels much better for it. Greeted by the owner Jay as you walk in, it all just makes sense. He's young, softly spoken but sharply dressed. There's not a thing out of place - both on him and the restaurant - with all the staff moving like clockwork. Seamless and suave, not stuffy.

The Chap and I hastily ordered a glass of the Brut Rosé fizz from Luxembourg (£8) recommended by the guys over the road at The Grape Escape (best place for pre dinner drinkies FYI), and then decided that we'd splurge on the wine flight to accompany the tasting menu. The only way to do it, right?

Appetisers arrive. A Quaver-like rice cracker with crispy kale and a cinnamon, mango and chilli gel, followed by panipuri; hollow chickpea puffs filled with spiced chickpeas and a fresh chutney. A tart tamarind sauce was poured in then down in one (as instructed). A whole host of textures and tastes, I'd order more if I could.

First course was pan-fried sea bass, white truffle oil, smoked tomato and mulli salad paired with Fess Parker Santa Barbara County Chardonnay, California 2014. The truffle hits you first with the spice creeping in after - an interesting combo which gets revisited later - but we couldn't help but feel that the fish was overcooked. Crispy skin, yaaaasss, but as the piece of fish was so flat, it was just a little dry. The wine match was the redeeming feature, no surprise considering my love of Cali Chards; the smoked tomato hit it off with the oakiness and the flavours lingered long after the last mouthful.

Next was tandoor Welsh lamb, cous cous and legumes with another USA wine, Smoking Loon Old Vine Zinfandel, Lodi, California 2013. Blushing lamb, so tender, with a green coriander sauce to add extra oomph. The dark berried wine was another good pairing, soft with subtle cedary notes bringing out the nuttiness of the cous cous.

Upping the game, Newent chicken, wild mushroom, whole coriander, anise sauce with sultana and almond rice. So succulent, and with the jewelled rice and glossy sauce it actually felt richer than the lamb. Never underestimate the chicken dish.

As for the wine, Jay tested us out with a few. Firstly, Domaine Roger-Joseph Belland Les Champs-Gains, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru, France. An absolute beaut Burgundy, big with complexity, and with the buttery chicken alone would have ticked all the boxes. However, as soon as the fragrant anise made itself known, then it all got rather lost. It had spice, just without heat, yet we still agreed that it craved a wine with some sweetness. Jay then brought us over the Charles Sparr Gewurztraminer “Tradition”, Alsace, and the Werner ‘Annaberg’ Riesling Kabinett, Mosel, to try side by side with the dish. Styles you'd probably find us drinking on a weekend anyway, and like choosing children it was a tough choice. Both awesome, but the sweet spice and floral notes of the Gewurz did it for me. Save the Riesling for something hotter.

The star attraction was venison, butternut squash, ginger and cinnamon reduction served with a truffle oil naan bread. Indian and truffle aren't a likely coupling, but having it twice in one night has made me think otherwise, and truffle naan breads should definitely be a thing. Definitely. Chunks of rare venison and squash scream Autumn/Winter, and with a generous pour of the punchy ginger sauce, they'd well and truly been given the Prithvi magic touch. My one qualm would be the fact that our meat portions weren't quite even. I got the better deal with two thick pieces, but The Chap had one thick and one thin. Ah well. Quickly forgotten about whilst sipping the Pacifico Sur Carmenere Reserva, Curico Valley, Chile 2015, full of blackcurrants and black pepper.

The Tour of Prithvi ended with Passion fruit cream, mango gel, coriander and honey crumble. I think we're all more accustomed to an After Eight being brought out with the bill, but here we had an assortment of sweet treats. Fresh and fruity, with cream to soothe those taste buds and coriander to add a herbal citrus note; we're still in an Indian restaurant after all. Lenz Moser Prestige Beerenauslese, Burgenland, Austria, was our final wine of the night. Equally sweet with velvety honey notes to tie in with dessert. Happy endings.

Whilst we're not short of fine dining options in The Cotswolds, nor places to scoff a Ruby Murray on a Friday night for that matter, the unique line that Prithvi draws between the two certainly is something rather special. The food and service sure have gone up a notch or two since our last visit, so it's no surprise that tables are still so sought after and the dishes remain memorable.

Jay's pride beams throughout, making it an utter joy to experience everything that is Prithvi. Let's just keep our fingers crossed for more truffle naans when we return.

Prithvi is open for dinner Tuesday - Saturday and lunch on Thursday and Saturday. The tasting menu is £53pp, and they reopen from their annual holiday on January 19th. Get booking!

Smokey Phi Phi Thai Street Barbecue at The Railway Cheltenham

I think it's fair to say that Cheltenham's not short of a watering hole or two. There are pubs and bars aplenty, with cafes and coffee shops even offering some booze options now. But what about the food? Many places just seem to serve your average pub grub; there'll be claims of being the best burger in town (it's not), and most dishes come with chips (I'll let them have that - we all love chips). Essentially it's inexpensive (though not always value for money) stodge to soak up the few-too-many post-work pints. Or, if you're lucky, you might find somewhere with stone baked pizzas, 'cause that's a thing now.

The places which stand out are those which play it a little differently, and The Railway was one such place. A lovely pub, a little off the beaten track, down the lower end of the High Street… Behind Waitrose, darling! For years it had been known for it's Sausage Kitchen where you could choose from a variety of sausages, different mashes and a selection of gravies. They even did a sausage roast dinner on a Sunday, kind of like having pigs in blankets - sans blankets - all rear round.

Recently they made the decision to change. I was shocked, as were many, because they had their USP and they were doing it well. That's all we ask for. But then I though to myself, when was the last time that I actually went to The Railway for food?... Quite a few years ago it would seem... Bingo. We all knew it was there, we all knew what to expect, we all knew it was good, but at the same time we're all guilty of chasing the new, exciting places popping up elsewhere in town. Is this why they decided to shake things up a little? Most likely.

The Railway's new venture is Smokey Phi Phi's Thai Street Barbecue. Quite similar to The Vine that does stonkingly good Thai classics on the cheap (I'm guessing they're linked), but here we have hot, smoky, fragrant Thai street food. Think lots of finger foods, with dips and sauces galore, bigger sharing dishes and numerous sides. As with most small plate places, things come out of the kitchen as and when they're ready; it's all about sharing and eating the food when it's at its best.

Last month a whole host of local bloggers were invited to try some of the new dishes from Smokey Phi Phi's kitchen. The menu changes daily though, so what we had that night might not be what you'll be able to get on your visit - and you should visit!

Small plates (£2-6) included rice paper rolls packed full of fresh herbs, veg, noodles and tofu, with a sesame soy dipping sauce. Charred and smoked vegetables (they use applewood and oak), which whilst lovely, were covered in a super spicy sauce that was too hot for most people on our table. Little nuggets of crispy pork belly with chilli sauce, gone in seconds, and chilli chicken wings. Yeah, yeah, everyone has chicken wings on their menu now, but these aren't the Americanised Buffalo kind; they're sweet and salty thanks to that Thai fave, fish sauce. A good contender for best wings in town. The standout for me though was the grilled sriraja prawns with chilli and lime dip. Messy business peeling off those blackened shells, but oh man.

Whilst we all got carried away grazing at the small dishes, the large plates (up to £15) are not to be ignored. Smoked marinated pork shoulder steak, which was juicy enough on its own, but came with a tangy tamarind dipping sauce that made it even better. The whole crispy sea bass with an eastern herb salad looked awesome, but was surprisingly my least favourite. Crispy skin - tick - but the fish was a little over cooked with not enough sauce or salad to remedy it. Some tweaking and the bass will be back in the game.  

The smoked sirloin with lemongrass and chilli salad was breath-taking, literally. There's some serious spice in that one, but with such fresh, clean flavours coating every strip of steak I couldn't leave it alone. A dish to blow away the cobwebs *mops brow*. The winner of the night was without question the smoked pork belly rendang. A big piece of pork belly, which you have to portion up yourselves - crackling n'all - in a soul-soothing coconut based sauce. Not as punchy in the heat department, but rich, aromatic and oh so good.  Parcels of sticky rice and bowls of coconut rice were a good accompaniment - sides are £2-5 - but the rotis were where it's at. Perfect for scooping up the leftover rending sauce.

With no Thai Green Curry or Pad Thai in sight, The Railway has found its new niche. The food is interesting, and daily menu changes will keep it from going stale. I can see Smokey Phi Phi's Thai Street Barbecue being a hit... What sausages anyway?