Bordeaux Wine Dinner at Hotel Du Vin Cheltenham

Hotel du Vin. The name says it all really; a hotel with a focus on wine. Sweet deal. So why is it that I never think of going there for a drink? It is because it's a hotel chain (usually a soulless affair)? Is it because it's slightly (hardly) off the beaten track? Is it because I have already found myself a really good local wine bar? Who knows, but after two years of frequenting other bars and restaurants, I returned to Cheltenham's Hotel du Vin with a booking for their Bordeaux Wine Dinner.

Everyone's heard of Bordeaux, right? You can definitely spend big bucks on a flashy bottle, whether it's worth it or not is another question, and you can easily get suckered into buying a bottle of plonk just because of the label saying where it's from. Wine can be a mine field, particularly this French region, but with a representative from Bibendum and HDV's sommelier, we were guided through some delicious wines paired to a three course dinner cooked by Head Chef Paul Motram.

Underneath the twinkling wine glass chandelier, we began our evening with a refreshing Lillet Blanc, honey and lemon cocktail alongside a selection of canapés. Our host dug out her wine-cyclopaedia, giving us a brief bio of Bordeaux; I think we were all dreaming of traveling around the southwest of France as we nibbled our paté toasts.

Rather than picking the wine to match the food, here the wine comes first, and we started with Château Carbonnieux White. A blend of 60:40 Sauvignon:Semillon, it's aged in used oak barrels for just under a year. The Semillon grapes tame down the zippiness of the Sauvignon by giving them roundness and volume on the palate, whilst the subtle oak adds richness. There's a grapefruit acidity in the first sip, which develops into ripe peaches and finishes with a creamy mouthfeel. An excellent partner to our starter; pan seared sea bass, cod brandade gratin, fennel purée and preserved lemon sauce. Admittedly not the prettiest of dishes - a sea of beige and brown should only be seen at your local bakery - but looks can be deceiving. Send more of that silky brandade my way, the super saltiness was well balanced with the wine, and all that was missing was the French sunshine.

To accompany our mains we had a Bordeaux battle; two reds from the same year, one left bank and one right bank. Château Langoa Barton 2005, Saint-Julien vs. Château de Fonbel 2005, Saint-Emilion. Recognisable appellations, sure, and most winos will have their preference, but before this I couldn't have told you which side I was on. Whist all Bordeauxs are blends, Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant grape in the left bank, whilst Merlot takes the majority on the right. The Saint-Julien was jammy, with ripe blackberries and a touch of tobacco, whilst the Saint-Emilion was lighter in body and had a more concentrated berry flavour. Both beaut, but I've discovered I'm a Saint-Julien girl. 

Our main course was not your usual hotel restaurant fayre; beef fillet and braised short rib, almond croquette, tenderstem broccoli and confit tomato jus. Just a nudge with a knife and the short rib collapsed in its thick, glossy sauce, and that fillet… Rich, meaty, delicious. 'Nuff said. Could've done with a few more greens, but I don't go out to eat for health. Both wines were great with it, though the Julien still edged it for me.  

After seeing ile flotantes (floating islands) on various cooking shows throughout the years, HDV were the ones to pop my cherry. A large poached meringue marooned on a vanilla crème anglasie with caramel and toasted flaked almonds on top. It's both light and heavy at the same time - a little boggling - and I don't think anyone could finish their bowl - it really was massive - but it was so good with our final wine of the night; a chilled golden glass of Sauternes! Made from grapes affected by Noble Rot, it has a sweet nectar/honey flavour, but a lingering acidity that keeps it fresh and stops your mouth from being sugared out. Yu-um. Pass the bottle.

We left Hotel du Vin feeling full and a little sozzled, and on our walk home made an "executive decision" that the £70 per person it cost was actually a really good deal. Not only did we have a snazzy cocktail and lots of canapés to start, but three courses with four wines, all of which were generously poured and equally as generously topped up! It does sound like a lot to fork out all at once - I'd certainly wince - but for what you actually get (including the explanations from Bibendum and the sommelier) it's good value.

If you're into wine, or want to get into wine, this is a great starting place. Not only will you gain some knowledge, but you'll taste some new things and get fed with plenty of delicious foods. From now on I shall never underestimate Hotel du Vin; it's worth a visit.

The next Wine Dinner is Friday 20th October at 7pm focussing on the Rhone (£80), or Friday 24th November with Portuguese wines (£65). Treat yourselves and book now!

Beaujolais Nouveau: The Ox Meets The Grape Escape Cheltenham

Le Beaujolais nouveau est arrivé!

Beaujolais Nouveau Day is something I look forward to every year (as if I don't celebrate wine enough on a weekly basis). It always falls on the third Thursday of November, where traditionally Beaujolais winemakers would race to Paris carrying the first bottles of the new vintage, releasing it at 12:01am just weeks after the grapes have been harvested and crushed. The sprightly cherry red Gamay, that's often served chilled, is still celebrated in this way with nouveau parties going on until the wee hours of the morning - hooray for wine!

This year, albeit a few days late, we marked the 2016 vintage with a very special evening of fine food and wine with two of the best independents in town; The Ox restaurant and The Grape Escape wine bar.

Ant and Zoe from The Grape had picked a selection of the best Beaujolais' - one nouveau, one white, one rose, and three other reds - whilst Head Chef Piotr pieced together a five course menu to accompany the wines. Not the usual way you'd do food pairings but hey, this is wine day!

As the thirsty folk of Cheltenham arrived at The Ox on Cambray Place, arrival drinks sure were flowing; Domaine de Grandmont Beaujolais Villages Nouveau 2016. Apparently earlier in the year, things weren't looking so rosy for the growers in Beaujolais. A damp, grey May was followed by an unseasonably colder June, and finished with a devastating hailstorm that laid waste to numerous vineyards in Fleurie, Chiroubles and Morgon. However, the late flowering and a warm and sunny July and August, turned everything around and resulted in excellent ripeness.

This years wine is fresh, clean and precise, with adolescent flavours of bubblegum and blueberries lurking behind the initial black fruitiness. A good year after all, and it's bonkers to think that the grapes for this wine were only picked on September 20th!

We sat on long communal tables - in true celebration style - and out came our first course of the night; Game & pistachio terrine, chutney and pickles paired with the beautiful Jean-Paul Thévenet Morgon 'Tradition Le Clachet' 2015.

Made from 75 year old vines that are cultivated organically, this wine has been fermented au naturel with naturally occurring yeasts and without the addition of sulphur. It's aged in used oak barrels (which are from the more famous Domaine de la Romanée-Conti) for 6 - 8 months, giving it a wonderful flavour. It has crunchy ripe red berry fruit, cherries, herbs and spice. Definitely my favourite wine of the night, and the terrine - made with venison, chicken livers, partridge and pigeon - was a cracking match too. The red fruits lifted the gaminess, whilst the charred sourdough and the earthy beetroot and tomato chutney played with the spice.

Next we ventured to a more unusual Beaujolais - a white! Only 1% of the wines made in the region are white, and this one was a winner; Chateau Thivin Beaujolais Villages Blanc 'Cuvée Marguerite' 2015 matched to The Ox smoked salmon, cucumber and wasabi yoghurt.

This Beaujo Blanc is 100% Chardonnay, grown on clay-chalk soil, and hand harvested with minimal intervention. It's casked directly after pressing, and left to ferment entirely before the wine is aged on the lees for nine months. This has given it a full, complex mouthfeel, reminiscent of a 1er Cru Chablis - ooh err! Lovely elderflower and white peach notes complimented the subtly smoked salmon, with the citrus edge heightening the tang of the yoghurt and the saltiness of the rock samphire. The wasabi was quite a punch at times, but being a mustard-fiend I didn't care.

The best pairing of the night had to be the roasted partridge, pearl barley, parsley root puree, crispy curly kale together with Paul-Henri Thillardon Chenas 'Les Boccards' 2013.

Made by a talented young winemaker, using parcels of vines in Chenas and Chiroubles, this is everything you'd expect from a decent Beaujolais. Strawberries, redcurrants and violet on the nose, with a burst of juicy red berries as you take your first sip. Its soft tannins and long length made it the ideal wine to have with our tender partridge, which came two ways. The breasts of the bird had been wrapped in parma ham to make a ballotine, whilst the confit leg meat was rolled together with herbs, coated in panko breadcrumbs and fried. The barley, puree and crisp kale added to the all the interesting textures, and it felt truly Autumnal.

The cheese course with house pickles, biscuits and chutney came with Chateau du Pavé Brouilly 2014. Made by English winemaker Chris Piper from a 3 hectare vineyard situated at the foot of Cote de Brouilly, this is another minimal intervention wine. The vines are cultivated using eco-friendly methods and the yields are kept low, creating delicious concentration. There's depth and structure with black cherries and raspberries, finishing with a touch of spice... Great for the brie and the cheddar, not so much for the stilton; gimme something sweet with that!

Last but not least, we had Lemon meringue, creme fraiche ice cream, candied lemon and yuzu cracker.  Domaine de Grandmont Rosé 2015. It's a pretty rare occurrence to come across a pink Beaujolais, but here we have one! We're told that the Gamay grapes are harvested in the dew of the morning to capture them at their ultimate freshness - how romantic - and this has locked in the zesty citrus and strawberry flavours. There's a natural sweetness about it with an off-dry finish; terribly easy to drink, but unfortunately not such a good match for dessert.

The tartness of the lemon and lime curds were exactly what we all craved after quite a rich dinner, but unfortunately it just clashed with the wine. Individually; delightful (I love the twist on a classic lemon meringue pie). Together; not so much. You can't win them all.

This exclusive event, with five courses paired to five wines (plus the nouveau), was a miniscule price of £45. Ridiculous value, right?! The Ox know what they're doing in the kitchen - the food was spot on from start to finish - and as ever The Grape Escape picked out some wonderful wines. Let's hope we don't have to wait until next November for another Cheltenham indie collaboration *HINT*... Now, go forth and drink brilliant Beaujolais!

The Lucky Onion Club Presents: Hemsley + Hemsley

Their faces line the shelves in your local bookshops and supermarkets, you'll have spied them cooking up a storm on your TV, they've just opened up their own café in Selfridges, and last month our very own Cheltenham was graced with their presence.

Yes, the Hemsley sisters seem to be unstoppable at the moment - not surprising considering that health and wellness is so en vogue - but somehow, in the midst of their busy schedules, The Lucky Onion managed to snap them up for a whole day. No. 38 The Park was host to the latest in The Lucky Onion Club's series; Lunch + Supper with Hemsley + Hemsley.

Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley, shook up the food scene a few years ago with their love of quinoa, spiralized courgetti, and cauliflower rice. And let's not forget their 'Boil Your Bones' campaign, telling people to get with their guts by drinking bone broth - not one for the veggies.

The pair profess that food should be delicious and nutritious, simple and sustainable. Health doesn't come from processed foods, so they've adopted a diet that's naturally free from gluten, grains and refined sugar. This holistic approach has clearly been a hit because they've just released their second book, Good + Simple, which sees more home-cooking recipes that promote the nourishing power of real food.

I've written about healthy, 'clean' eating a few times before - see my posts on Gizzi's Healthy Appetite and Simply Nigella - and I'm still unsure about the idea of cutting out food groups without proper cause (ie. allergies/intolerances). However, H+H's philosophy is different; it's not about being restrictive (they do say you shouldn't feel guilty for eating what you want), it's not a fad diet (they never work long term), they eat meat and drink alcohol (yay!), and there's zero calorie counting involved (they're very much pro-fat not low-fat).

The sister's new book is an honest guide for how to stay in tune with your body; 140 recipes with plenty of tips and tricks that will guarantee you can eat well at any time of the day. "Good food, good mood, good digestion, good health!" 

I popped along to the supper sitting at the gorgeous No.38, and upon arrival guests were whisked into the courtyard where Hemsley Collins' were being served up. Ketel One Vodka, raw honey, lemon juice and sparkling water - sugarless, but not so sharp that it blows your head off thankfully - a great summertime refresher.

There were around 50 people eager to see the girls, both local and from further afield. Actually, it surprised me just how many men were there, though there were admittedly quite a few who were dragged along by their starstruck partners. As we took our seats at the long banquet style tables, introductions were made, and H+H explained our menu for the evening; a selection of dishes from the new book.

We started with Seasonal Crudités, Multiseed Crackers, Minty Broad Bean and Creamy Cashew Ranch Dip. The crackers were made from a mix of buckwheat and chickpea flour, giving them a distinctive nutty flavour with a decent crunch, and a wooden board piled high with colourful veg always wins me over - especially peas in the pod! The broad bean dip was just as you'd expect, and the cashew ranch was rich and creamy without including any dairy (they use soaked cashew nuts).

Photo Credit: The Lucky Onion

Main course was Spiced Roast Chicken Thighs with Watercress Salsa Verde and a Green Salad. There was also a dish of Courgette and Cannellini Bean Lasagne to share between our table. Courgetti is one thing, but the thought of a pasta-less lasagne would probably have most Italians recoil in horror. They needn't though, the layered veg with sundried tomatoes and ricotta 'béchamel' is a saintly tasty alternative.

The chicken thighs - a one-pan roast with cauliflower, red peppers and fennel - were gently spiced with cumin, cayenne and antioxidant-rich turmeric. Crispy skinned and dressed with vibrant watercress sauce, it epitomised 'Good + Simple'. I do feel that the portion should probably have been for 4-6 people, not 8, as just one thigh each, with a small scoop of roasted veg and some lettuce leaves, didn't feel substantial enough - and I wasn't alone in thinking that!

Thankfully, we had two desserts to curb our hunger. Firstly, Carrot Cake with Honey Yoghurt Frosting. Made with ground almonds and sweetened with maple syrup, there was a harmony of flavours going on. It would be a great cake to make for those who can't eat gluten or have a thing about sugar, though I am a traditionalist; a fluffy sponge that's full of sugar, spice and all things nice is where my heart lies. That said, the tang of the yoghurt frosting was spot on, and I'll keep that in mind future bakes.

Photo Credit: The Lucky Onion

Jasmine and Melissa took it upon themselves to show us just how easy it is to make the final sweet treat; Chocolate Orange Bar with Clementines. Bish, bash, bosh. In the blink of an eye the coconut oil, cocoa and maple syrup mixture was done, and in true Blue Peter fashion, "here's one we prepared earlier!" Almost as easy as nipping to the shops to get a sphere of Terry's… Almost.

Chocolate grins all round, the night finished off with a cup of spicy ginger Pep Up Tea and a dairy-free, caffeine-free, coffee-esque Chicory Latte, both from their first book The Art of Eating Well. Obligatory photos and book signings followed too, and it was clear to see just how proud the Hemsley sisters are of what they've achieved. Even the cynics would find it hard to ignore their likeability, so good on 'em I say.

You can buy Hemsley + Hemsley: Good + Simple on Amazon for £12.49.

See The Lucky Onion website for more details on their events.

Cookery Class with East India Café Cheltenham

Easter Sunday is usually the time where you and your family get together over a hoofing lamb roast, stuff yourself full of Easter eggs and watch some kids film on the telly. This year I strayed from tradition because I was invited to a cookery class at Cheltenham's East India Café.

The Anglo-Indian place on the prom has been on my radar for quite a while; word of mouth, I've only ever heard good things, so it was great to be able to get in on this lunchtime experience (cheers Honeybourne Line!).

Truth be told, The Chap and I were pretty hungover after a few too many bank holiday beverages on the Saturday night, but boshing a hot cross bun and a pint of tea for breakfast sorted us out, and off we went.

East India run their 'Cookery Masterclasses' on the last Sunday of every month, with the themes and menu changing each time. Their general cooking style is a bit different to your average Indian, with their inspiration coming from the years of the British Raj (1858 - 1947). The lifestyle - particularly the dining - of the British Raj was said to be incredible, prompting East India to dip into the recipes and creations of that time, giving them a slightly more updated twist.

The class that we attended was all about the colonial dishes that originated from the kitchen of Dak Bungalow - guest houses erected by Indian rulers. With four courses to make (and eat), we started swiftly.

Non-alcoholic Shorbot drinks in hand - a herbal concoction originally used for medicinal purposes - we took to our seats. Although brightly coloured, it was actually delicately flavoured with rose and lemon, and it had added texture with soaked chia and basil seeds floating around in there too.

The set up was different to other cookery classes I've been on (here), this was much more like a demonstration as opposed to a hands on kind of thing... Though I did fry some onions like a pro! An induction hob on a table was the makeshift kitchen, with eight of us observing from our tables - all facing outwards, it was a little like being an X-Factor judge for the day. Prep work was fully explained and shown for each course, with the kitchen team assembling the full dishes behind the scenes. You're basically guided through the foundations of the recipe before being presented with the finished article to tuck in to - no lengthy waiting around for things to cook. Plates cleared, then onto the next one.

Dish 1: Samosa Chaat. The ultimate street food snack, it's essentially a deconstructed samosa, or a sort of scrambled samosa, mixed with extra filling and veg. It makes it a bit healthier than just munching on the deep fried goods alone, and looks much more appetising than a few beige triangles on a plate. With a combination of fresh ingredients, herbs, spices, and the most amazing mint sauce I've ever tasted, it felt like a great way to start to an Indian feast, and is something I'll definitely recreate at home.

Dish 2: Grilled Yellowfin Tuna Steak. A super easy recipe that would be perfect for a summer BBQ (if the sun ever gets a look in). All that's required is marinating the fish overnight in a mixed pickle and mustard-y sauce, then searing both sides on a grill, and you're done! They tarted the plate up with a parsley and coriander gremolata, tartare sauce, and mango, along with a few strewn leaves. It was probably my favourite course of the day, and it's on their a la carte menu if you fancy it too.

It was at this point we had a palate cleanser of Mango Sorbet with Lemon Jelly, and I ordered myself a White Negroni. This was nothing like any White Negroni I've had before; less boozy and more sweet than usual, I presume to pair up to the spices in the food better? It certainly gained points on its beauty nonetheless.

Dish 3: Chicken Jalfrezi. A classic, made with both chicken drumsticks and breast strips, along with a healthy amount of peppers. Taste-wise, amazing (and definitely kicked out our hangovers), but my only qualm would be on the presentation. It came in a cabbage leaf bowl, which we were instructed not to eat, and then had three little buckets on the side; one with a fragrant lemon rice (yes), one with a bengali spice salad (double yes), and one with extra jalfrezi (huh?). I can see that East India are trying to be a bit different, but it just felt clumsy to eat, especially trying to cut chicken off the bone in a cabbage leaf.

Dish 4: Chilli Chocolate Truffle. Chilli and chocolate are a dream team, and when you throw in some rose flavoured jam and a handful of chopped nuts... Now you're talking. I've already hunted down some of the rose spread they used; I expect I'll be making these truffles a lot. We had a mini cup of Chai made with soy milk too just to round things off.

So, not only did we enjoy four courses of Colonial Indian food, we also got the chance to learn about Indian cookery and intermittently don an apron.

The classes at East India Café are priced at £49.95 and it lasts about 4 hours. I'd maybe say that it's aimed more at people who dabble in cookery, or those who love Indian food but never attempt to make it at home - the long lists of ingredients can be quite daunting! I feel that adventurous cooks would probably be familiar with a lot of the processes that were explained, but they'd still gain some exciting recipes and get the chance to eat some lovely food with a group of people too.

Our hosts were incredibly funny, though I'm not sure it was always intentional, and couldn't have been more welcoming. The Chap and I left with our recipe sheets, goodie bags containing spices and chai tea, and a new motto;"be your own chef".

Check out Lewis Loves blog post of the event too. 

Tasting Menu at Purslane Restaurant Cheltenham

The first Thursday of every month sees Purslane Restaurant in Cheltenham host their 'Taste' evening. For £45 per person, customers are able to take a tour of some of the options on the A La Carte menu, sampling five seasonal dishes plus a few added extras.

Despite always recommending Purslane, it had been ages since we'd actually eaten there ourselves (shamefully it was their special Lobster Night back in August 2014!). Armed with some vouchers given to us by Father Christmas, The Chap and I were very excited to be going along to the March event. 

With just a handful of tables, Purslane is an intimate space, though with decent lighting - none of that so low you can barely see what you're eating stuff here - and a tasteful grey and lemon yellow colour palette, there's a more friendly neighbourhood restaurant vibe about it. And being instantly greeted by the bubbly Parisian manager Stephanie, you get this impression as soon as you walk through the door. Coats are hung up, you're shown to your table, given menus to peruse, and relax; you know you're going to be well looked after.

Although the menu has a strong focus on seafood - all their fish are caught in Cornwall and served up the very next day - there are meaty dishes and veggie options too. The kitchen prides itself on sourcing as much as possible from nearby suppliers - vegetables from Vale of Evesham, an abundance of local cheeses and rare breed meats from the Cotswold Hills - and chef Gareth Fulford sure knows how to get the best flavours out of each and every one of them.

We began with homemade breads, taramasalata and seaweed butter. I'd remembered that their bread selection was good last time, and here we had slices of sourdough, treacly soda bread and a fennel seed roll. Serving seaweed butter instead of the straight up kind was a nice twist (and a good nautical nod); it had a fresh "green" flavour to it, whilst still having the saltiness you require from your classic bread 'n' butter.

The taramasalata was a dream too; not the blancmange pink kind you'd normally find in shops, instead, a desperately pale salmon colour, jujjed up with a pinch of paprika. Paired with a glass of Champagne, we were off to a fine start.

Our amuse bouche was an oyster, topped with saucisson and a green apple granita. I've had oysters in many forms, but none quite like this. Pork and apple, apple and shellfish, citrus and oyster; it all just worked, and kind of set precedence to our official first course.

Pressed suckling pig, black pudding, langoustine, celeriac and pickled pear. Although sounding quite hefty with double pig, it was wonderfully delicate and the langoustine wasn't overpowered. The creamy ribbons of celeriac and the sweet-sour pear kept it light, whilst the crackling added a welcome texture.

Our fish course was John Dory, monk's beard, sea kale, wild garlic and spaetzle. Monk's beard is all the rage right now; similar to samphire, but a lot less salty, I've seen it crop up in fish dishes all over town. And I'm sure that every chef is happy about the fact that wild garlic is just coming into its bountiful season too! Including it in this dish, along with the sea kale, made it like a foraged feast from both land and sea.

Of course, those were just counterparts to the beautiful fillet of fish and the buttery spaetzle (little noodle-cum-dumpling-kind-of-things - The Chap and I tried making them once...we don't talk about it now). With fish as their forte, it came as no surprise that this was a highlight, and Stephanie's pairing of un-oaked Chardonnay was a cracking choice.

Wye Valley duck, breast and croustillant, heritage carrots and chicory was our main course. Not only did it look incredible with pops of bright yellow carrot puree against its sultry orange, brown and green tones, but every mouthful was equally a joy to eat. The tender pink strips of duck draped themselves over the chicory - like a drunk uncle at a family wedding - being propped up by the more sturdy croustillant (confit duck in a crisp casing).

What we notice is that whilst we had root veg galore, there was no starchy-carb-overkill, which would have easily seen us roll home. And that's what I find so great about a tasting menu; restaurants aren't out to fill you up in three over-portioned courses, they want to excite and tease your tastebuds with a number of delicious dishes, leaving you feeling satisfied not sick!

Our wine match for the duck was a Fleurie, which was full of red berries and spice, and it had just the right balance of tannins and acidity in order to lift the dish rather than overcomplicate it.

Yorkshire rhubarb, white chocolate delice and rose meringue was our pre-dessert, paired with a tawny port. The rhubarb came in four ways - jelly, ice cream, poached and puréed - a sea of pink and cream in contrast to the black plate; it looked amazing. Sweet and creamy vs. cold and tart, harmonised by the strong floral crunch of the meringue. Out of all the options on Purslane's A La Carte dessert menu, this is the one I'd have picked, and The Chap said he preferred it to our final course too!

Hazelnut fondant, malt ice cream, salted caramel and milk stout jelly. Fondants are more often than not in some sort of chocolate form; get them right and they're great, get them wrong and they're unsalvageable. As a lover of hazelnuts, but not of Nutella, this really appealed to me - and it didn't disappoint!

Cutting into it, its lava-like liquid centre oozed out onto the plate, putting the toasty ice cream, bitter jelly and the tongue tingling salty caramel in their places. This is a dessert that means business, and with the spirity heat of a glass of Amaretto, Purslane's Tasting Menu ended on a high.

Tea, coffee and petit fours followed (after a much needed break I hasten to add), and The Chap and I both said that this was the best meal we'd had out in 2016 so far! Fresh and clean flavours, put together with flair and imagination; I'm annoyed at myself for not returning sooner.

The next Taste on Thursday is April 7th priced at £45 per person - you can view the menu here. The Tasting Menu is also available on Friday and Saturday evenings throughout the month, priced at £55 per person, and the accompanying wine flight - 2 glasses of fizz, a white, a red and two dessert wines/spirit - is £35; quite a bit cheaper than some of the other fine dining restaurants in Cheltenham!

Just make sure you book before visiting Purslane, having only 12 tables you don't want to be turned away!

Burns Night Supper & Compass Box Whisky Pairing

Following on from my previous post about The Ox Cheltenham, The Chap and I were lucky enough to win tickets to go to their Burns Night Supper. Celebrating the original Master of Ceremony, Robert Burns, Monday 25th January saw the restaurant lay on a Scottish inspired four course menu perfectly matched with a flight of whisky. What a dream!

Having spent previous Burns Nights at home with haggis, neeps and tatties, followed by copious amounts of whisky and shortbread, it was a lovely change to be attending an event with a whole host of other Burns enthusiasts instead. All that was missing were bagpipes, kilts and the ode to a haggis!

Compass Box - specialist Scotch whiskymakers and craft blenders - supplied the drinks for the night. They're an innovative company, making whiskies that cover the spectrum of flavours Scotch whisky can offer; from light, delicate and elegant to big, smoky and peaty. With such a range of styles and flavour profiles, Compass Box can appeal to a variety of tastes, making whisky more approachable, even to those that don't normally drink it.

To kick things off, we had a classic Mamie Taylor cocktail made with Great King Street: a measure of whisky and the juice of half a lime, topped up with ginger beer. Easy to make and easy to drink! Despite resembling the recipe for a Moscow Mule, the Mamie Taylor actually predates it by about 65 years! Canapés accompanied our cocktails too - smoked salmon and horseradish cream blinis - which totally got our appetites going.

Before the first course was brought out, we received our whisky: Compass Box Oak Cross. Part of the Signature Range, the Oak Cross combines the best characteristics of both American and French oak ageing. It's quite a fruity number, which delivers vanilla, cloves and a sweet maltiness.

A great aperitif whisky, and therefore a great match to the first dish; Tandoori Scottish scallops, spiced yoghurt, crisp chick peas and pickled cucumber. The fragrant spices made sure that the scallops didn't get lost when eaten with the whisky, and the crisp chick peas not only added texture, but added a nuttiness which paired with the spirit too.

Next up was the Compass Box Spice Tree. Made from 100% malt whisky sourced from Highland distilleries, and aged in custom-made casks fitted with new French oak heads, this is a big whisky with spicy aromas of clove, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.

Photo Credit: The Ox Cheltenham

Its rich, round sweetness paired wonderfully with our main course; Charcoal roasted venison, haggis, charred onion purée and potato onion gratin. Not having the usual Burns Night fayre was a nice touch from The Ox - venison felt like a massive treat - and still including a little bit of haggis was a welcome nod to tradition. It was gorgeous.

If we didn't think it could get much better, we were wrong. The dessert course came with Compass Box Orangerie, a truly unique whisky which has been infused with fresh orange zest and aromatic spices. Although it's made from a soft, sweet blend of Highland single malt and single grain whisky from Fife, it can't actually be called Scotch whisky because it has taken on other flavours from the infusion.

Orangerie is an interesting one, it's probably not something I'd choose to drink - I prefer peaty/salty whiskies - but with the Rhubarb Cranachan that we were served, it really came into its own. Orange and rhubarb are a match made in heaven anyway, but the layers of sharp stewed fruit (I know it's technically a veg), overwhipped cream and crumbled shortbread really brought out the sweet orange-spiced nature of the whisky.

To end our supper, we were given my favourite glass of the night, the limited edition Compass Box Flaming Heart alongside some Dunshire Blue, Barway Original Cheddar, oatcakes and chutney. Smouldering, spicy and complex, Flaming Heart was the first whisky to combine the richness of Scotch aged in new French oak with the peat-fired smoke of Islay malt. This bottle, celebrating Compass Box's fifteenth anniversary, is a brooding, indulgent dram that's destined for late night drinking. Born of oak, smoke and fire, with an underlying sweetness, it's an after dinner drink that's a perfect partner for a cheeseboard… Out with the Port and in with the whisky (we've all had enough Port over Christmas anyway)!

Although we won our places at the event, tickets were only £40 per person, and that included everything - both food and drink. You could easily spend that amount of money on a four course dinner without drinks somewhere - it was such good value. And in the majority of restaurants, having a main course of venison usually means a price tag of up to £20 alone. So, £40 for the whole shebang seemed almost penny saving!

I'll certainly be looking out for future events at The Ox; we had a great night!

Sláinte!