Jumping into Jersey

21-Jan-10 - But there is, as they say, no rest for the wicked, and the following morning it was another flight, this time to Jersey on behalf of EAT JERSEY magazine. There were interviews with various of the island's gastronomes, including Sergio dos Santos, the sommelier at the Atlantic Hotel, Robert Jones, owner of the Castle Green gastropub, and Patrick Tweedie, the chef at The Oyster Box in St Brelade's Bay. This last is an amazing place with fantastic views out to sea, and was converted from an old café and gift shop in 2008. Oysters and other seafood are the main attraction, of course, but given my shellfish allergy I had a crack at the chicken, mushroom, pearl onion, smoked bacon and tarragon pie with rosemary sauté potatoes, which was simply superb - very much my kind of food.

I stayed the night at Longueville Manor, which is one my favourite places in the British Isles. It has 5/10 in the Good Food Guide, five red stars from the AA and four red towers in the Michelin Guide. The occasion was a celebration of a new book called A TASTE OF RELAIS & CHÂTEAUX, which features profiles and recipes from all 29 member hotels and restaurants in the UK and Ireland. We were hosted by Malcolm Lewis, who runs Longueville with his wife Patricia, and chef Andrew Baird cooked up the three recipes which are featured in the book: poached lobster tail and ham chowder, fillet of Angus beef with oxtail ravioli, and hazelnut sablé with chocolate and sesame ice-cream. The meal was, quite simply, sensational.

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Noshing in Northern Ireland

19-Jan-10 - Off to Belfast to speak to the Northern Ireland Wine & Spirit Institute. They're a very keen bunch, some trade, some enthusiasts and I've spoken to them before, albeit back in May-04. My host, Alastair Bell, picked me up from the airport and we had a very pleasant lunch at The Bay Tree Coffee Shop in Holywood, which was positively bustling, with everything from coffee and cake to local specialities (and quite a few very interesting wines by the glass - never had an Australian Nebbiolo before). It's an unpretentious place (2/10 in the Good Food Guide), run by chef-patronne Sue Farmer, and its proudest boast is that 'we make everything ourselves' - the cinnamon scones have been voted 'best in the UK' by the BMW guide. I can also vouch for the pork and scallion sausages and mash, but there are more ambitious dishes on the menu such as crab claws, guinea fowl and a Russian starter with smoked salmon, pickled mushrooms, beetroot salad and vodka. The clientèle is eclectic, from old dears having coffee and cake to whole families apparently having everything. I was particularly beguiled by a smart-looking young couple - late teens, maybe - having lunch at a table by the window. When they stood up to leave I saw that they were both wearing school uniform, and I thought how very civilised that was - out for a proper lunch and then back to school. And how very different from my own schooldays when a visit to the chip shop (strictly against the rules, of course) was considered the height of sophistication.

The tasting went well: wines of Castilla y León, for which I have a detailed PowerPoint presentation, and 12 wines, including some rarities which I'd discovered on my last couple of trips over there: the range from La Setera in Arribes (including their slightly-illegal Touriga Nacional) and also Otero in Benavente and finishing off with Pintia, the Vega Sicilia outpost in Toro. Interestingly, Sara Groves-Raines who, with her husband Patxi Martínez, runs La Setera, is originally from Northern Ireland, and one of the guests actually knew her family: a small world.

The event was held at Nick's Warehouse in Belfast old town. As the name implies it was formerly a whisky warehouse belonging to Bushmills, and had been virtually derelict for years. Today it's a very trendy eaterie run by Nick Price (who is the brother of Sue Farmer of the Bay Tree) and has 3/10 in the Good Food Guide. We had an early dinner before the event - the menu changes on a daily basis according to what's available - and I can vouch for the chicken with black pudding on chorizo and olive mash. The wine list is wide-ranging, and we had a bottle of Urban Merlot from Bodegas O.Fournier in Chile, a winery which we visited in 2008, thanks to the generosity of José-Manuel Ortega (12-Feb-08). All in all it was an excellent evening, topped off with a stay at the very comfortable La Mon Hotel and Country club. The service there is exemplary: I got back at around midnight and asked for a sandwich and a glass of house red. The receptionist brought them up to the room himself and I was delighted to note that the sandwiches were not only good and varied but also completely slime-free (no mayonnaise, pickle, mustard or other ghastly and unnecessary accoutrements)! I slept well and even had a light breakfast (something I seldom do) before getting an early-afternoon flight home. All in all it had been a very civilised and pleasant couple of days.

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John Radford's WineWire - Winter 09/10; and results?

15-Jan-10 - It had been a very quiet start to the new year and I even managed to get my accounts done in the nick of time. I just don't know where 2009 went. We held over the publication of YES CHEF! Magazine until w/b the 19th, as the new UK and Ireland Michelin Guide was out on the 18th. As with earlier editions, however, the headline news was leaked on the previous Friday, so the weekend was spent in feverish attempts to contact those chefs who'd won or lost stars, get quotes from them, and put an article together. The rest of the magazine had already been printed, so we were able to get it out by Monday 25-Jan-10. It also includes the second edition of JOHN RADFORD'S WINEWIRE with an in-depth look at the wines of Navarra, some unusual items from California, and the usual gossip.

Results - In an earlier post I mentioned my 'exploding' car keys, and that I had written to Proton complaining about a bill for £300-plus. They did write back and said that the car is out of guarantee but, as a goodwill gesture, they'd refund the cost... Against the price of a brand-new Proton, which I can't possibly afford. Oh well, at least I tried, and I suppose it was pretty fair offer. And to fix the windscreen wipers cost £109.96 - roll on the next car, next month.

A better result from the Southern Railway, after my £50 taxi-ride home from Haywards Heath when the train broke down (18-Dec-09). They 'fessed up and sent me a cheque for the £50. I shall use them again!

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