A monthly round-up of gastro goings-on around Cambridgeshire
Restaurant Week 2022
After a hiatus in 2021, Love Cambridge’s Restaurant Week is set to return from 14-25 March, offering dining deals galore. With a longer run time than the last event, the initiative aims to inspire people to enjoy Cambridge’s thriving food scene, discovering new gems and revisiting old favourites. Around 50 businesses – ranging from casual cafes to fine-dining spots – are expected to participate, serving up cut-price set menus at £5, £10, £15 or £20. Stay tuned for the next issue of Cambridge Edition for a full rundown of what’s on offer and how you can get involved.
Afternoon Delights
Launched in celebration of A. A. Milne’s birthday, Parker’s Tavern has added a Winnie the Pooh-themed afternoon tea to its offering. The adorably nostalgic feast features bear-shaped honey macarons, a Tigger-inspired chocolate and orange swirl cake and an Eeyore’s tail blueberry and white chocolate éclair. Freshly baked scones and a range of savoury treats – such as truffle sausage rolls and finger sandwiches – are also on the menu, priced at £32 (or £27.50 take away).
Chinese New Year Feast
Students will earn their stripes for the Year of the Tiger on 3 February, when The Park at CRC hosts a Chinese New Year evening to showcase its cookery pupils’ talents. The three-course meal is priced at a very reasonable £15, with starters including pork spring rolls and sweet chilli sauce, steamed sea bass with red chard and pepper coulis, or sweet and sour cauliflower. For mains, there’s Peking duck pancakes, steamed chicken, noodles with shrimp and Chinese tofu, while dessert brings cotton cheesecake, coconut and lemongrass rice pudding with caramelised mango, or nian gao (Chinese New Year cake) with sorbet.
Gastro-nauts land in Cambridge
Having taken Bury St Edmunds by storm, the team behind independent eatery Gastrono-me has announced plans to open in Cambridge by March. Moving into the Bridge Street building formerly home to Bella Italia, the new restaurant will follow the template of its Suffolk sister site, with an eclectic menu and laid-back vibe. From brunches to late-night cocktails, it’s an all-day affair, and diners can expect delicacies such as dark chocolate porridge, lox bagels with potato rosti, and a unique soufflé egg wedge. Favourites from the Bury branch making their way over to our city include American-style pancakes, plus pillowy bao stuffed with braised brisket. To drink, you can try nitro cold brew, beetroot and white chocolate lattes and a range of inventive alcoholic cocktails.
Speaking about the opening, co-owner Gemma Simmonite said: “My husband Mike and I met at drama school and turned our lives upside down, originally opening a deli and bakery. We found our calling in Gastrono-me back in 2011, and are now realising our dream of expanding our business into other parts of the UK. We love the historic market town feel in Bury, and Cambridge holds that same charm, but on a city level. It’s the perfect setting for the next stage of our adventure and we’re excited to become part of the city’s buzzing restaurant culture.”
Chocs Away!
Chocoholics should hotfoot it to Histon Smokehouse for an extravaganza of cocoa-based treats at the first ever Cambridge Chocolate Festival. Running 11-14 February, the event is hosted by chocolatiers Bumble & Oak, and will feature tastings, giveaways, demos and more.
Outside, in the eatery’s garden, you’ll find the ‘Chocolate Factory’, where Anisa Ather of Anisa & Chocolate and Riadh Falvo from Bumble & Oak will demonstrate the process of bean to bar chocolate making, taking you through roasting, cracking, grinding and other tricks of the trade. From chocolate cocktails to cocoa-infused brunches, plus a variety of stalls from local makers and bakers, there’s plenty more in store – check Eventbrite for details!
The Ickleton Lion
The Ickleton Lion near Saffron Walden has recently reopened under new management. Claire and Mike took over the pub with the ambition of reinstating it as the village hub – as any good local should be! The old building oozes with charm that reflects the character of the semi-rural community that surrounds it, and a warm welcome awaits every visitor – be they cyclists, dog walkers, ramblers, tourists or locals. Dishes are home-cooked and prepared with fresh ingredients, sourced locally, and there’s also an extensive range of beers, wines and gins to tempt. On the menu, find roast chump of local lamb with a wild rosemary jus, mushroom mille-feuille with roasted curried cauliflower and burnt onion mayo, ‘hand-picked by chef’ specials – updated weekly – plus a host of pub classics for you to sink your teeth into!
Big passion, small impact
For a delicious and planet-friendly celebration, Treat someone special with home-grown bubbles this Valentine’s Day, says Grape Britannia’s Matt Hodgson
Roebuck Estate Blanc de Noirs 2015, £44.99
Hailing from West Sussex, this sensational sparkler shows baked apples layered with complex notes of toasted almonds; a silky texture and a long, lingering finish.
Chilford Hall Mallyon Rosé 2018, £21.95
A fun fizz from down the road in Linton: expect lashings of strawberries, lemon and lime, leading to a mellow, creamy finish. This would pair with a rich mushroom risotto.
Balfour Hush Heath Leslie’s Reserve Red NV, £33.99
Ring the changes this year with this stunning red bubbly from Kent. Strawberries, raspberries, cherries and earthy notes, rounded off with a pleasing tannic grip.
All wines listed above can be purchased from Grape Britannia on Arbury Road.
Catch up on last month’s food news here.
