July Food News With Eat With Ellen

Now then, dear Belles and Beaux. Until now, you’ve know me as ‘Eat with Ellen’, a little-known food blogger who contributes this monthly column with all your must-gos and must-eats. Well, here’s a public service announcement. I’m now officially an ‘award-winning food blogger’ after a surprise win in the Best Food/Drink Blog category at the Midlands Food, Drink & Hospitality Awards. No, it doesn’t mean I’m suddenly up there with AA Gill but it’s a nice thing to share with you. So thanks for reading this, and my blog if you do, and here’s to great food and drink!

Anyway, last time we spoke I was trotting off around Europe on my holidays and can report that I pretty much did eat most of France’s cheese and a lot of whatever I could get my hands on in Spain and Andorra too. Safe to say it was a fabulous food and drink-filled trip, from wine-tasting in Bordeaux to seafood on the French coast, Pintxos in San Sebastian and some epic Galician beef on our travels.

But enough about me, let’s talk about you for a minute. England is heatwave-tastic at the moment and it feels like summer really is here to stay. You may just want to sit in a rooftop bar, beer garden, or your own backyard, but if you’re looking for a few things to do over the next month or so, I’ve found you some. I’ve chucked a few in for August too so you can make a few plans…..

MUST GO

Blinis & Bellinis at Where the Pancakes Are

*Blinis and Bellinis at Where the Pancakes Are (Picture: Jade Nina Sarkhel)*

For anyone who likes Where the Pancakes Are in Flat Iron Square, this will make you happy. They’re now open for evenings with a menu featuring ‘Blinis & Bellinis’ plus along with summer cocktails.

Aimed at the wind-down hours after work, you can get a sharing platter of Blinis and Bellinis to eaten al fresco on the veranda or in the restaurant. For £20 you’ll get blinis with homemade dips including classic smoked salmon, sour cream and dill and hot artichoke, cheddar & parsley plus house-cured spiced pickles and two Bellinis.

There are also favourites from the all-day menu like English, vegetarian or vegan breakfast; the classic American (bacon, maple syrup and blueberries); hangover-cures Welsh Rarebit or Pulled beef Pastrami and the Ottolenghi-inspired 1000 Baby-Greens pancakes, not to mention a Yorkshire-pudding-meets-pancake ‘Dutch Baby’.

In terms of drinks, you can choose from summery cocktails including a take on Aperol Spritz or a Smokey Maple Old Fashioned as well as indie ciders and beers. It’s open until 9pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and until 6pm on all other days of the week.

Arch 35a, 85a Southwark Bridge Rd, London SE1 0NQ. Nearest station – Borough

Lima Floral relaunches as The Lost Alpaca Bar

At the back end of last month, Lima Floral relaunched its bar with a brand new name and menu. As its name suggests, The Lost Alpaca Bar will serve a range of cocktails showcasing flavours of Latin America through speciality spirits.

The basement venue will offer a cocktail menu, Peruvian bar snacks, all accompanied by Latin American soundtracks.

The cocktail menu is all about Latin America, from Mexico’s mezcal and tequilas all the way down to Brazil’s cachaça and Venezuela’s award-winning rums. You’ll be able to get Peru’s national cocktail The Classic Pisco Sour, as well as the Brazilian inspired Alpaca Punch, plus a bar snack menu if you get peckish.

Upstairs in the restaurant there’s a relaxed sharing menu focusing on the traditional flavours, including dishes like Hot Salmon Ceviche, duck tiradito and Suckling pig with celeriac puree which will be available for guests to share. Sound good?

The Lost Alpaca Bar, 14 Garrick St, WC2E 9BJ. Nearest tube – Leicester Square

Rathfinny on the Roof at The Ham Yard Hotel

Rathfinny pop-up at the Ham Yard Hotel Okay, this is an August one, but you might want to get it in your diary – apparently this is going to be one of the hottest al fresco drinking spot this summer.

Thanks to a two-week pop-up, you’ll be able to enjoy Rathfinny’s new Sussex Sparkling Wines and cocktails from their English spirits brand, Seven Sisters, in the London sunshine right up there on the private rooftop of Ham Yard Hotel above Piccadilly Circus.

If you haven’t heard of Rathfinny, the acclaimed Sussex winery released a Blanc de Blancs 2014 and a Rosé Brut 2015 to market in June and the August pop up is a way of announcing the new wines to London.

It runs from August 6th – 19th and tickets are available from Design My Night.

Ham Yard Hotel, 1 Ham Yard, Soho, London W1D 7DT. Nearest station – Piccadilly Circus

The Old Truman Brewery presents: V For

The Old Truman Brewery has announced a brand new vegan lifestyle festival taking place across the whole of August – V For.

Apparently the festival, situation in East London, will be like nothing London’s ever seen before, from a special edition of Vegan Nights at The Old Truman Brewery to a month of yoga and mindfulness at Adidas Studio LDN plus a number of exclusive vegan activities including an immersive exhibition with Plant Pop, food market takeovers, rooftop yoga and meditation workshops, ethical fashion showcases and workout sessions including No Kane No Gain from 1xtra’s Melody Kane. For more information visit www.v-for.co.uk.

The Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London, E1 6QR. Nearest station – Shoreditch High Street

The London BBQ Festival

I know, I know, we’ve been having barbecues for weeks now. But there’s a chance for loads more at the London BBQ Festival on July 21st and 22nd.

You’ll be able to try the best of barbecue, from British, American and South African bbq to Brazilian Churrasco and the Argentine Parrillada, as well as plenty of beer, sides and desserts from vendors from around the world.

You don’t even have to get a babysitter, with kids’ activities firing up from 12pm in the Family Fun Zone including face painting, inflatables and more. And for the grown-ups, there’s live music and djs from 1pm, plus beer and cocktails at pop-up music lounge The Pit. Tickets from Design My Night here.

Twyford Avenue, Twyford Avenue, W3 9QA. Nearest station – Ealing Common

OUT OF TOWN

If you’re planning a trip away, you could do worse than going up to Scotland for Bowhouse’s series of Food Weekends in July, August and September.

The weekends at the food and drink hub just outside St Monans in Fife, on Balcaskie Estate, are unique indoor events, mixing local food and drink with live music. There’s a dedicated street food area and plenty of great produce so all in all, a foodie’s dream.

Weekends include producers from The Damn Fine Cheese Company to Ninja Bakes and Cake Creations, as well as artisan drinks companies including Tay Spirits and Lundin Distilling. And that’s even before you get to the street food traders bringing everything from fish and chips to pizzas and crepes.

Bowhouse also has a load of makers permanently based at the venue including Langoustine the Box, Scotland the Bread, East Neuk Organic Brewing & Distilling and Mara Seaweed.

Bowhouse Food Weekends take place on Saturdays and Sundays between 10am – 4pm on the following dates:

7-8 July

11-12 August

8-9 September

Balcaskie Estate, Easter Kellie Farm, Arncroach, Anstruther, Fife KY10 2RF. Nearest station – Leuchars

MUST TRY

GinKing

You know when you can’t decide between gin or fizz? I’ve found the answer.

GinKing is a new summer cocktail, available at M&S, that blends citrusy white wine from award-winning winery Denbies in Surrey with London Dry Gin from Langley Distillery and a splash of spring water.

Apparently it’s best served chilled, either by itself or with a twist of orange peel and is described as the “ultimate English summer tipple”. Oh, and it’s suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Everyone’s a winner!

GinKing is available from Marks & Spencer. A 75cl bottle is £13.00.

Ellen Manning

Ellen started as a news reporter on her local paper straight out of university, working her way up to become the chief reporter at national news agency the Press Association. There she spent six years gallivanting around the country - and the world - reporting on everything from troops in Afghanistan to the Olympics. After a stint writing telecoms news, she's now freelance and indulges in general wordsmithery for a variety of publications. Her real passion is food, whether it's talking about, thinking about, or eating it. She's got her own blog Eat with Ellen (www.eatwithellen.com) and you'll most likely find her dragging her husband on a food-filled mission, either at home or further afield. Ellen's on board as Belle's resident food expert, giving you a monthly lowdown on upcoming events and openings, trends, issues, and what's hot and what's not in the world of food.

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