The day I went to a supper club

 If you happened to be in the Leicestershire town of Market Harborough on Thursday, you may have come across a woman pushing a wooden table on castors plus a couple of chairs on top down a hill. It wasn't a fundraising stunt come push for charity. No, it was Katie, one half of the Secret Supper Club, taking one of her tables to the venue for Friday's secret supper event.

It's been a while since Lauren and Katie have held such an event, and the Mexican themed night was a complete sell out.

I'm not surprised, what's there not to like about going somewhere completely different to a  secret supper or pop up restaurant ? You get a chance to have a really good meal with a different menu, you can take your own booze and as an added bonus, you get to have a good nosey at someone else's home .

I took three friends along, Laura, Suzie and Fiona...Fiona was the saint who drove us home. Arriving promptly , there was a warm welcome into Lauren's Victorian, possibly Edwardian newly and beautifully renovated home.

There was a "Wow"and instant kitchen envy from Laura and I as we entered the huge kitchen. When I say huge...there's not many kitchens where 25 people can be easily seated. And it's gorgeous....

 

There were home made nachos, sour cream, guacamole and a tomato salsa on the table to tuck into while other arrivals piled in...and our booze was put into a old tin trough full of ice.

 

The main course was served buffet style and queuing up gave those people on different tables a chance to chat, and get an eyeful of what we were about to receive and be truly grateful for.

I've never tasted grilled corn like this - topped off with chilli oil, salt, lime juice and Lancashire cheese, I had to have a second piece .There was pulled pork with almond mole, green rice, mixed bean chilli, spicy chicken wings and big, fat sweet potato wedges plus featherweight soft tortillas and a tomato salad.

And what's more , there was plenty more for those who had already polished off everything on their piled high plates.

 
 



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By now, the booze was flowing and the decibel levels in the kitchen were rising as everyone sat chatting

And then Lauren arrived with some tequila

I 've never tried tequila slammers before. I've watched others knock them back many times, but not done it myself after seeing the havoc caused afterwards. Most notably at my friend Karen's hen do about ten years ago. Everyone except me had several rounds of them.(I was driving) with great merriment as they licked the salt off their hand, slammed the tequila down their neck, and then sucked a quarter of lime.

Within minutes they were all uproariously drunk , dancing outrageously and inappropriately and I ended up having to virtually carry one of the group (Hello Helen) through the streets of Leicester while trying to hail a taxi without success at 2.30am. In the end I had to drive  about 15 miles out of my way to get Helen home, with the window wide open so she could throw up out of the window. I propped her up her outside her front door, rang the bell, got into my car, watched her husband open the door, giggled at his expression and drove away into the early hours .

So there was no way I was going to have a tequila.....

As you can see , I really enjoyed it....

At least I can say I've had one, but it's not something I shall do again. But one thing I will do, is book straight in for the very next supper club held here. Did I mention the rum and lime cake after the tequila?

Such a lovely relaxed yet buzzy atmosphere, as much food as we could eat at a very decent price, with lots of smiles all round, from the organisers to the very satisfied punters.

 

And apart from a raft of "thank you's and "goodnights"...the only question  on everyone's lips as we sailed off happily down the street was "When is the next one?"

 





 

Days of our daily bread

First of all, let me say it right now - I love bread. But there's one thing I can't abide, and that's bad bread. You know the type I mean, what we call plastic bread in our house. The bread in the supermarket wrapped in plastic or polythene, the white soft, pappy bread that I was given to eat as a child, two slices cut into four with such glamorous fillings. The cheese and cucumber sandwich, the jam sandwich and the dizzy height of a lemon curd sandwich if we were lucky.

I hate that sort of bread but to be fair, it doesn't like me either. Not that I buy it of course....but there are times when I have had to eat it recently...at all day work event where the sandwiches are brought in....and although there was wholemeal plastic bread too , it just doesn't leave a nasty taste in my mouth, It packs a punch in my gut too. In short, the Chorleywood method of baking bread does not agree with me and makes me suffer, but this is the way in which eighty per cent of our bread is made in the UK.


So , all hail to the all the new artisan bakeries which have been opening around the country.....bakers of the UK I salute you! You don't know how happy you've made me feel  to be able to buy good, tasty bread that's been cooked in a traditional way, bread which has taken time, love and care to produce.

And in my nearest market town of Market Harborough, we're now doubly lucky with the opening within the last year of two excellent bakeries. One is the Hambleton Bakery which opened a while back....one of a number of shops set up by the original bakery in Exton. The  baker
Julian Carter took the top "Baker of the Year" award last year and his baker was voted "Britain's best Bakery" in a programme on telly. His sourdough and spelt breads are magnificent and full of flavour.


But the new kid on the block  which opened a couple of weeks ago  has to be the most teeny tiny bakery in the country, and when I say it's small , there's not room enough to swing a hamster around let alone a cat! It's called the Garage Bakehouse set in an old garage belonging to the bakers' family.

It's run by Dan Cadoo and  his Mum Karen, who are from this area but who were working in Cornwall. They 've now come back to this area, and boy am I glad!

Their sourdough loaves , both white and wholemeal are good, and make the most incredible toast, their focaccias are very popular in a range of flavours, but what's really got me excited, is their
Turkish bread. Light, soft and tasty, this is a loaf which is ideal for a picnic, for lunchboxes, it keeps well, and after a few days gives you lovely crunchy toast.

There's also a range of deliciously different soups and snacks for lunch and coffee.



Meanwhile, Dan is baking and making all day in a bid to keep up with the demand....







Using bags and bags of high quality flour

Oh and there's cake...with samples of something different every day unfortunately. When I say unfortunately (ahem) I mean oh dear, I suppose I'd better buy some. It's good cake.

So I predict a great future for this lovely little bakery, this tiny bakery which is so small you have to sit outside to drink your coffee or soup or eat your cake.

And I hope the artisan bread making moment continues to flourish.....so that others, like me can eat their daily bread, knowing there's no additives, fats , enzymes or other additives which we don't want or need.

PS By the way, this is not a sponsored post, and I haven't been given free bread!

Wine tasting days

I'm writing this on a Thursday, but I do love Saturday afternoons. A free couple of hours to mooch  about in Market Harborough...pay a visit to my favourite shops, buy something special for supper, and change my library books.

Even if friends are over for the weeekend, they like a whizz around my favourite haunts....and more about those in future blogposts...but this is always a popular port of call with anyone.

Duncan Murray Wines..a small wine shop, with big ideas and a warm welcome for everyone .Opened by Duncan and his wife Megan about five years ago, I've been a loyal customer ever since. Why? Well the choice of wines for one thing.....





I can get my favourite gluggable reds...something special to take to a friend, there's something for everyone's budget. But I know I could get those in many other places.

No, what's great about this little place is the brilliant banter every Saturday between 12noon and 3pm, when there's wine tastings from different countries and areas.

It's almost like a club...most people like to taste new wines they haven't tried before....usually between three and five different bottles...it's nice to talk to others about wine in a casual friendly atmosphere ....

...and there's the jokes.....from Duncan mainly...accompanied by raised eyebrows and a wry smile from Megan. Don't worry though, his wines are much better than the jokes.....

Sometimes different wine growers come to do their own tastings...occasionally there's a few nibbles to accompany the wines ...for example, from Spain we had some manchego cheese and chorizo, but with last Saturdays' tasting, there was something you couldn't possibly eat....

Yes, it's a rock. A kimmeridgeon about 150 years old from the Chablis area....the rock explains the flinty character of the wine from the region. And that's the attention to detail in this wine shop.....
When did you last see one of those in the supermarket wine section?

So on a Saturday afternoon if you see me in Market Harborough, I haven't been drowning my sorrrows in the pub all lunchtime, I've merely been learning more about wine in a very sociable way. Mind you I now go to the library before the wine tasting....I was getting some funny looks from the librarians...

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Today's track is slightly different....I could have played UB40's Red Red Wine...but this sketch still makes me laugh every time I see it....It's the incomparable, and very young (!) Fry and Laurie.....on wine tasting.....