Lifestyle Blogger
In collaboration with Day Lewis.
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Their website describes it…
Owned and operated by a young couple with a passion for wine and for life, for Kat and Matt Brigitte Bordeaux is about more than just wine. Along with a sense of love for food and wine, there’s an emphasis on bringing their spirited and independent ethos to Sherwood and the local neighbourhood.
The food in Whitby is absolutely lovely, you pretty much can’t go wrong anywhere that you go but we definitely had some favourites that we visited across the three days that we were there that I wanted to share!
One thing that we noticed was the distinct lack of chains in Whitby which is really nice and helps you discover independent places for food and drink which is great. I think we spotted a Costa and there was a Wetherspoons but I can’t recall seeing any other chains like McDonalds, Zizzi, Pizza Express etc.
Breakfast in Whitby
Java Cafe
We headed to Java Cafe on our first morning and sat in their window seat which was nice to do a bit of people watching. Downpoints because they’d run out of decaf coffee but what can you do. L ordered smoked salmon and scrambled eggs with toast and couldn’t finish it as it was so big, they really went to town on the amount of salmon and it tasted really fresh. I ordered a freshly squeezed orange juice with a veggie sausage cob with a hash brown to pop in there too which was really yummy. Would definitely recommend it as a lovely place to grab breakfast.
The Jet Black Jewel
This little place scores the top spot of the featured image for their lovely continental breakfast. This was super great value at £6.95 for a big bowl of yoghurt and granola with berries and banana, juice and either a pastry or fresh sourdough toast with butter and jam. So filling, really nice and fresh feeling with a bit of fruit and thoroughly enjoyable.
Drinks in Whitby
There are so many lovely little pubs but if you feel like you need a breather, a bit of light and fancy trying to pour your own pint then check out Abbey Wharf that looks over the water. They also have a bar if you’re not into pouring your own but it’s a bit of a novelty to try. We didn’t try the food here but we did pop back for drinks a couple of times as we liked the vibe of a more modern pub for some of our stay.
Lunch / Tea / Dinner in Whitby
Whatever you call your lunch/dinner or your tea/dinner (it’s tea to me at home!) there are plenty of options that you can easily do both at, depending on your appetite.
Humble Pie
A 1930s/40s themed and war-inspired pie and mash shop, this place is 100% no frills. You have the choice of nine different pies and they even have vegan options. Every pie is served with mash and gravy and then your choice of mushy or garden peas and it is just so filling, so warming and really comforting. I had the chicken and leek pie and L chose steak and ale and they were both amazing. To be honest it actually reminded me of Pieminister without the faff.
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Trenchers
This retro place has won so many awards and it’s the highest rated restaurant to get takeaway or sit in fish and chips in Whitby it was absolutely amazing and so worth the wait in the queue. We got there for about 7 and only waited 10-15 minutes before we were seated and the service is super quick once you’re in as well as it’s all cooking already obviously!
This has to be the best chippy tea we’ve ever had it’s just so fresh and delicious. They had some great sides too, we had to try the curry sauce which was amazing and the mushy peas were great too. We both opted for small portions as we were recommended to definitely not go large by a lady in the queue (you literally get two battered fish when you order the large!) and we saw some ‘regular/medium’ plates come out and they were still pretty big, just lots more chips.
When our smalls arrived we thought we’d be wishing we’d got regular sized portions but honestly we were so full especially as we had a slice of bread each too. If you’re starving and can really put it away or want to feel super duper stuffed I’d say get the regular but as I’m pregnant I can only eat so much and I still finished my small portion but was really really full. L said it was the perfect amount for him too, it doesn’t leave you with that lethargic full feeling just nicely satisfied.
1. Aliotiko Restaurant
If you’re looking for serious portions, amazing value for money and traditional Greek food this is a great shout. We shared the courgette balls and calamari for starters and the traditional Greek platter which had stifado, moussaka, stuffed pepper, potatoes, pitta and salad. We were absolutely stuffed and couldn’t finish everything so it was definitely shareable between three comfortably. The food was really tasty and it was so nice to have some traditional Greek dishes. We spent around €45 for all of this food in a centre of town location including a drink each.
2. Halfway House Restaurant and Wine Bar
For a slightly higher end meal out for a step above your usual holiday tea, the Halfway House is incredible. Again I would say this is really good value for money as the quality of the experience will blow you away. We actually visited twice in our four nights because it was such a good experience. Our meals were between €60-90 across both nights, one night Luke had wine and we both had desserts and the other just a pint and we shared a pudding so you can choose to fit your budget.
The dishes we ate here were Greek Bruschetta, Chicken & Veg Spring Rolls, Garlic Bread with Mozzarella for starters. Luke had an amazing steak and I had chicken Souvlaki on our first trip and then I had fresh pesto chicken rigatoni and Luke had pork belly on our second trip. We had lemon meringue pie on the first trip and a brownie and then had to get the brownie to share for our return visit.
Halfway House is a family owned restaurant and the owner’s mother made all the desserts on site and they were so delicious. The team were lovely, so friendly and attentive too.
3. Boomerang Bar
A great lunch spot along the beach is Boomerang Bar. We headed here for our first lunch and I had an amazing Caesar salad. We popped back here a few times for lunches and drinks by the beach as the rest of the beach front bars are usually pool bars with lots of sunbeds before you get to the sea. We paid €20-30 per trip and it was really good value for money.
4. Local Bakeries
A small shout out has to go to all the local bakeries because they’re all so delicious and the little pastries and cakes are all such good value. We had lots of elevenses snacks and a couple of lunches in the local bakery in Tsilivi and one in Zante town too. Definitely don’t overlook where the locals are because it’s always going to be good! We shared a bagel, had a cake and a drink each and this was around €8 which is super good value.
Check out more of the food we ate in my Reels on Instagram!
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From the Smokehouse to Your House….
One of the county’s biggest foodie success stories, Hickory’s Smokehouse, has ramped up its national Hickory’s At Home range for the festive season to include a whole host of Southern inspired gifting ideas.
From full on seasonal BBQ feasts, already to heat and eat at home to a fabulously festive range of gifting ideas which are perfect for foodie friends, BBQ fanatics and cocktail connoisseurs!
Firstly, we were really pleasantly surprised by the amazing service, everyone was really friendly and attentive and it felt really different to restaurants that we’d been to around the same time.
They had a great drinks selection and unfortunately we were too full to try the amazing desserts but we were able to fit in a starter. We shared the Classic Corn Dogs which we thought were a good price at £6.99. The menu description is – ‘Three sausages dipped & fried in a cornmeal batter, served with South Carolina barbecue sauce, a sprinkling of crispy shallots & bacon bits.’ They were really tasty, didn’t taste overly fried and we really enjoyed them.
For our main courses I ordered The Bird & Beast Burger which was priced at £14.25. The menu again describes this giant burger as… ‘Why choose between beef & chicken when you can have both? Southern fried chicken, prime beef patty, hash brown, lettuce, tomato, American style cheese & tangy creole mayo, all served within a toasted bun.’ It was so, so nice. I’ve had burgers like this before which have been too much, too dry or tasted really oily but this was really nice, the meats were all perfectly cooked and not dry at all and the hash brown was a great addition.
Luke went for the Texas Style Brisket which was £15.50. ‘There’s no messing around with our grain-fed beef brisket. Cooked low ‘n’ slow for 16 hours, each brisket is served warm rather than piping hot (just like they do in Texas) with house slaw, skin-on fries, pickles & Tennessee bourbon gravy.’
We both had the ‘magic dust’ on our fries which is a bit like the Peri salt in Nando’s – that’s the only way I can describe it! But, it was a little too dusty and was a little dry and overpowering, I think I would have liked half the am0unt or a mix of both plain fries and dusty fries! The barbecue sauce was fab too but the only thing I wasn’t keen on, but Luke loved, was the coleslaw – but this was just personal taste. Overall we loved Hickory’s, we thought it was good value for money and would love to go back soon but I need to make room for dessert because their FroCo (frozen custard!) sounded incredible.
When we arrived we headed, we checked in at the beautiful Hart Shoreditch hotel and then headed straight out to Spitalfields Market to grab some snacks and a quick drink. We ended up at Humble Crumble devouring an apple crumble and custard topped with meringue pieces – this was delicious. Obviously the cost of things in London is something we always forget about until we get there so £6.50 for a ‘regular’ crumble is pricey but it was very tasty. We then popped and had a quick drink at The Gun, a pub just opposite the Benefit side of Spitalfields Market – they had Beavertown on tap which is always a win.
After a walk to BoxPark in Shoreditch we stopped for a walk around the pop up shops and some snacks as we had a big dinner planned that evening. We grabbed some bao buns – fried chicken and pork belly and some gyozas from Rainbo, a little Asian pop up at the top of BoxPark. The pork belly baos were our favourite and we’d definitely order these again.
For dinner we headed to Flat Iron in Spitalfields. There’s a lot of these restaurants in London and we headed to the Spitalfields one for our dinner. We both had the steak (the only thing on the menu bar a special cheeseburger and a special Scottish bavette steak) and chose our sides. We ordered the crispy bone marrow mash, beef dripping chips, creamed spinach and roasted cauliflower and we both had a peppercorn sauce. The steak was beautiful and all of the sides were so well seasoned too, almost slightly too salty across all of the sides as there was no respite from the saltiness but everything tasted beautiful.
They also give you a free salted caramel ice cream on your way out which is really delicious and a lovely touch at the end. We also had a cocktail each – a Caipirinha and a strawberry and sloe gin bellini which were both lovely but also very strong – how they should be I guess but I hadn’t had a cocktail for a while so it was a bit if a shock to the system for me! All in all a beautiful meal out and I’d recommend and also would definitely go back to Flat Iron.
Let me know your London food recommendations in the comments.
Items parked with an asterisk (*) have been gifted as samples to feature in this gift guide but I would never feature anything I wouldn’t gift or want to receive myself. Plus, I can’t recommend a delicious gin if I haven’t tasted it, right? Some products also have affiliate links.
Foodie Gifts
AKA buy me anything I can eat or drink and I’ll be happy. I love a foodie gift, who doesn’t? Any excuse to treat yourself to a little bottle of fizz or glass of wine and some amazing snacks, right? Here are some lovely ideas for those food and drink lovers in your life.
First up is Betty’s of York – Who knew that the amazing bakery/deli/sweet-treat Gods Betty’s delivered? Well we found out when we were kindly sent some gorgeous fondant fancies from them the other week as a non-wedding day gift. But how lovely would it be to gift something like this for Christmas?
Candy Kittens are the perfect stocking filler sweets. They’re delicious, most of them are vegan and they *seem* a little healthier than your average Haribo? They offer little jars, multipacks and these super cute stocking-filler sizes.
Another perfect stocking filler would be some Personalised Chocolate from Prezzybox, or how about a jar of traditional US recipe Jackpot peanut butter?
Time for the gins. Why not put together a little hamper with some botanicals, some limes or a cucumber and some higher end tonics with a bottle of Bobby’s Gin* or Mermaid Gin*? Both of these gins are absolutely gorgeous with distinct flavours and stand out bottle that look amazing on anyone’s shelf.
Pet Lover
As a teeny little stocking filler, I absolutely love these personalised baubles for the Christmas tree from Etsy seller The Three Black Rabbits. If you’re after a gift for someone who is pet obsessed or, if you’re the type of person that gives their pets an actual gift then as well as your usual treats and snacks then try the Pet Grooming Kit from Sniffe And Likkit*.
Taking inspiration from fine fragrance trends, the signature Sniffe – ‘Woodland Wonderfur’™ is a rich aromatic woody aroma with calming and soothing properties – perfect for wafting away woofy whiffs and making spaces and places smell… well, just nice!
Their formulas have been specially developed with a powerhouse blend of active ingredients and botanicals that are over 90% natural. Conscious of packaging too, they have combined both luxury and practicality in beautiful silver (recyclable and reusable) aluminium bottles and easy to use tubes – not something to be sniffed at when you are grooming a dog.
This is our new local and we absolutely love it. Real ales, craft beers and amazing food. I just wanted to give it a little shout out if you’re around the area and you fancied a snack, a pint or an awesome home cooked pub lunch.
The Station is also a hotel as the name might suggest. They also have a quiz night on a Thursday and do two for £14 on their amazing pizzas on that night too. We’re yet to try the quiz but we went along for a full meal after visiting for a snack and a pint previously courtesy of Eat Out to Help Out and we went all in on a lovely mid-week meal.
In our group we tried one of the pizzas, the cheese and bacon burger and a pie and mash. They were all amazing pub meals, super comforting, packed with flavour and you can tell that the ingredients are amazing, local and just such good quality. Usually a main is around £12 and a pizza just under £10 so it’s not extortionate, it’s just good value for lovely food in our opinion. They’re also adhering to all of the new social distancing rules and regs and all of the staff are friendly and helpful.
Not much else to say really but I think the food photos speak for themselves! If you love a real homely pub, a good pint that won’t break the bank and great chips, check out The Station. Plus, it’s a few minutes walk from Hucknall tram stop and the Arc cinema so there’s a full day out to be had if you fancy a little afternoon jaunt to North Notts.
As much as I’m a lover of a takeaway, pizza and a brownie I do love my healthy snacks too and I like to think I’m pretty balanced most of the time. I’m always on the look out for a new taste, a new snack and something to mix up my routine because I do get a bit bored of eating the same thing all the time. So when Erbology contacted me to see if I wanted to try some of their snacks I of course said yes!
At the moment I’m liking shakes and smoothies for breakfast and these usually include a protein powder to help keep me full but I also like to use them as a vessel for other healthy benefits and I love to pack in as many nutrients as I can. I use oats too to help keep me fuller for longer and to make the shakes nice and thick but adding something like the Erbology Organic Rose Water, Organic Bergamot Juice in my tropical smoothies and the Raw Organic Chia Powder can really up the health benefits of my speedy morning breakfasts. I’ve also been adding the Chia Powder to my banana bread bakes to boost them even more too.
Snack wise, I like something that takes a little time to get through like trail mix, chopped up apple or grapes as psychologically if I’m going back into my snack box multiple times I always think I’m having maybe more than I am. The Organic Raw Italian Almonds are a perfect addition to my trail mix that I love to make with dark chocolate and dried fruit and the Granola on the Go – Tigernut Nopal is great to crumble over yoghurt with some blueberries – another favourite breakfast or snack of mine.
I’m also a savoury snack lover and houmous and pitta is a staple food group for me! The addition of the
Organic Greek Olive Crackers
