All posts by thehorsesmouth

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About thehorsesmouth

If you would like your Newmarket venue or event reviewed please contact me on laurenelizabethhorncastle@hotmail.com

Cottos, Cambridge

Foodie, , , ,

With a plethora of family-run, chain and bistro style restaurants, it is not hard to find somewhere to dine near Cambridge but if you want an eatery that can proudly boast wonderful ‘ locally sourced food” in a friendly and intimate location then you may have to dig a little deeper.

Haven’t got time to do that? Just read on…

Cotto’s, Cambridge with Master chef Hans Scweitzer.

“Our traditional handcrafted way using natural ingredients.”

A hidden gem situated on East road, Cambridge. I highly recommend Cottos for its locally sourced and perfectly seasonal dishes!

The staff are polite and happy to supply a steady, constant flow of their homemade selection of buttery and delicious bread once you have enjoyed your bubbles and intricate canapes.

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Cottos is open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. 3 courses costs £50 with an extra £5 charge on a Saturday evening.cotto

Each member of our party thoroughly enjoyed their dish. The scallops in particular were delicious! Why not stretch your courses even further. Hans expertise in chocolate means that the chocolate desert dish is one not to miss. It’s certainly big enough to share between two and means that you can also order the plentiful and proudly British selection of cheeses! Mmm, Wobbly Bottom!

Images courtesy of the Cottos Website: http://www.cottocambridge.co.uk/

Paddocks House, Six Mile Bottom.

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Introducing Paddocks House

I was delighted to be invited to Paddocks House last night to enjoy their “Meet the Neighbours” press night. The event was to celebrate the offerings and arrival of both Paddock’s House and sister hotel, Poets House. Both owned by The House Collection.IMG_7359

Once seated in the study, a comfortable room with enticing fabrics and furniture. We were told that we would be taken on a journey and WOW, what a  four hour luxurious journey it was.

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On arriving at Paddock’s House there is an immediate stylishly sumptuous feel to the whole place. It is at the entrance that you meet the wonderful butler, George Telford. Gorgeous George has an incredible past that he will quite happily share with guests. This suited package of cheekiness and charm almost deserves an entire blog post to himself.  I’m keen to tell you about his training with the one and only Backstairs Billy, William Tallon, his dedicated 30 year service to a Greek family, 3 year service to Tom Hanks and connections to Robbie Williams, One Direction, Princess Anne, HRH Queen and a Beatles star but it is a conversation best had with George himself!

In a nutshell, George could single-handedly create a warm and welcoming ambiance to satisfy most guests but Paddocks House pull out far more surprises than just George. Every member of staff that we met and watched in action was inspired and incredibly intelligent in their selected field. What’s more, the entire team, from Director, Ian Cross and management to bar staff and porters seem to have a refreshingly friendly and equal relationship.

Liquid History

If history was always served in a chilled glass, filled to the brim with something juicy and tasty with a delicate garnish on the side then I could tell you much more about a subject I always felts was a weak point.

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As guests we were treated and educated by expert mixologist’s, Viorel Rujion and Katie Veitch. It’s with confidence that I can recommend Viorel’s cocktails if you are visiting sister location Poets House but if you are in the mood for cocktails at Paddocks House you are in for a real treat. This Scottish mixologist and Bar manager proudly gives a “feminine twist to traditionally manly spirits” such as Whisky. “Regal Jack” is a fruity and feminine cocktail made with Whisky. It was created for us on the evening but it is with great pleasure that the mixologists will create this delicious drink again for you should you wish to try it. Another plus point is that you can enjoy these cocktail in the effortlessly cool bar area.

Dinner is served

We were lucky enough to have our taste buds tantalized by a number of dishes allowing us to explore all areas of the Paddocks House menu. From afternoon tea and alfresco to dining room dishes and cheese courses the food was quite simply stunning.

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Rich in flavours without being over powering and so elegantly displayed, dining at Paddocks House is like no other dining experience I have had in East Anglia.

“Rolled on this thigh of…”

 

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Paddocks House will soon find a member of staff as knowledgeable as Food and Bar manager from Poets House, Isvan Melnecsuk. Istvan, a charming expert, will find out your tastes, explore your interests and then offer guests a suitable cigar suited. The cigars are priced between £10 and £20.

Time for bed with George

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Not only does George offer a service to unpack for you he will also run your wonderful, statement bath and turn down your bed before you retire for the evening! Each bedroom is sultry and intimate showing the perfect mix of glamour and elegance. IMG_7365IMG_7366

What are you waiting for?

The main menu in the intimate dining room offers a fantastic range of dishes. Other menu’s throughout the hotel offer elegant and unique twists to British favourites such as a trio of burgers!

The entire offering at Paddocks House is an eclectic mix of atmospheric rooms.

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Some locations offer high end luxury and quirky decor but fail to achieve a true boutique sensation. Paddocks House succeeds in being a chic boutique retreat in tranquil surroundings!

Clean Sweet Potato Balti – Delicious Veggie Curry

Clean eating, , , ,

Gareth and I try to have one fish dish and one vegetarian dish per week. One of our favourite meals is this Clean Sweet Potato Balti recipe.

•750g Sweet Potato, peeled and cubed
•150ml Vegetable Stock
•1tsp Coconut Oil
•1 tin of copped tomatoes
•1 tin of chick peas (drained and rinsed as always.)
•150g Spinach
•1 Onion

(and for the Balti Sauce)
•1 tbsp Cinnamon
•1tbsp Coriander
•1tbsp Turmeric
•1tbsp Paprika
•1tsp Mustard
•2tsp Cumin
•1tsp Chilli Powder
•1tbsp Lemon Juice
•1tsp Chopped Garlic

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Put the sweet potato and stock into a pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes until tender, drain and reserve the liquid.

Heat the coconut oil in a pan. Chop and cook the onion in the oil. Add all of the Balti sauce ingredients into a bowl and add to the pan with the onions.

Add the drained sweet potato and cook for a few minutes. Cover the potato in the sauce.

Stir in the chopped tomatoes, chickpeas and the reserved liquid. Bring the entire mixture to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the spinach and keep stirring until it has wilted.

Serve immediately! (Well you don’t have to but I can’t wait around when something as tasty as this is in front of me.)

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Clean Stuffed Chicken

Clean eating, ,

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• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp sun dried tomatoes
• 2 tbsp feta cheese
• 2 tbsp olives
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp pine nuts or sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• Coconut Oil

Pre heat the oven to 220. Throw together all of the ingredients in a bowl. Slice each chicken breast with a knife and stuff the pocket with the ingredients in the bowl.

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Smear a little coconut oil on each chicken breast and cook in the oven for 20 minutes.

I served this with a little brown rice cooked in chicken stock.

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Coconut Oil – A Clean Eating Must!

Clean eating, foodie, ,

For anyone that is looking to “eat clean”, cooking with Coconut Oil is an absolute must. Unfortunately, the cost of most jars of Coconut oil is extortionate!

The Coconut Oil found in the ‘Cooking oil’ section is an eye catching jar that will set you back £6.00!

Dig deeper… today I found myself in the ‘World Food’ isle in Tesco Bar Hill.

It was there that I found a 500ml jar of Pure Coconut Oil for just £2.20! More ‘Coconutty-goodness’ for a cheaper price! #HappyBargainHunter.

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No one is pretending that the packaging is even half as nice as my previous Coconut Oil purchase but at that price I couldn’t care less.

The catch is that the small ‘World Food’ section in Newmarket is unlikely to stock this so let me know if you would like me to pick you some up as Tesco Bar Hill is opposite my head office!

 

Kings Restaurant, Newmarket – Who can they accommodate?

foodie, ,

Knowing full well that Kings Restaurant, Newmarket can provide a romantic meal for two with ease and grace, I invited two friends from Cambridge, my brother and his girlfriend to join my boyfriend and I for a meal.

Will a table for 6 still receive the same charming attitude from staff, efficient service and of course, most importantly, incredible food?

YES! The atmosphere was great on Friday evening. A bustling kitchen could be seen through the viewing window, aromas of rich food could be smelt and every diner in the room seemed to be on good form and enjoying their evening.

We knew at least one person on each of the occupied tables in the restaurant but that is bound to happen when you consider the amount of people we know in Newmarket and the small quantity of wonderful restaurants to dine in.

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Our table came to the decision that we highly recommend the following:

Starter- Pan Fried Pigeon Breast
Main- Dingley Dell 7hr slow cooked belly of pork
Dessert-Rhubarb and Custard dish (accompany this with a shot of warming Chambord – delicious.)

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Image courtesy of Kings.

In conclusion, whether you are looking to have a romantic meal for 2, catch up with a select few friends or have a large group get together Kings Restaurant, Newmarket should be an ideal location for outstanding food, service and atmosphere!

What was your favourite Kings Dish?

Bloom & Wild – Flowers Reimagined

relaxation, ,

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As a young girl I would always be picking the prettiest flowers from the garden, putting them in a vase and proudly displaying them on our kitchen side.

Despite our garden frequently looking less colourful because of this, my Mum could appreciate my admiration for red hot pokers, daffodils and tulips! As I got older and with pocket money to spare, I would buy lots of different flowers from the shop and wrap them myself in cellophane and ribbon to present to friends and family. Six small flower sets at around £4 each would create two beautiful home-made bouquets.

And now?

Well now I know about Bloom & Wild!

“Longer lasting whole flower bouquets. Through your letterbox. At prices you won’t believe” they say on their Twitter page. Not one part of that is a lie.

Bloom and Wild have a slick and easily navigated website. Single purchase bouquets start at just £16.00. The flowers will be freshly cut on the Wednesday, neatly laid out in a box suitable for most letterboxes and delivered on a Thursday.

The novelty of receiving flowers through a letterbox just does not seem to get old and allows the recipient to be in, out, washing their hair or simply unable to get to the door to sign for a delivery.

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Each stem seems to spring to life as you take it out of the box and into a vase. So far I have purchased just-because flowers, Break-a-leg flowers, Sorry flowers and Happy Birthday flowers. Now it’s about time I signed up to their subscription service! The idea of Bloom and Wild is that you subscribe to receive monthly (or weekly) flower deliveries.

Bloom and Wild subscriptions start at £13.95 per month and includes free delivery. For more information take a look at their website: bloomandwild.com

Psst: Bloom & Wild have also just partnered up with Neom Organics to offer an incredible competition prize. Find Bloom and Wild on Twitter ( ‏@BloomandWild ) or sign up to their newsletter for more details!

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Wildwood, Newmarket – Slow food in the fast lane

foodie

I hate to compose a negative review so soon but we have now dined at Wildwood, Newmarket on two occasions and have been disappointed both times. The first visit was soon after their opening date so we put the experience down to teething problems. Our second visit took place on the last Sunday of January. We popped into the small chain restaurant for a quick bite expecting a tasty meal and good service. The slow service probably felt longer due to the cold restaurant area. I asked a manager if we could move due to the draft coming from both the door and the stairway but her reply was an abrupt “NO.” Yes, the restaurant was busy but she made no attempt to make us any more comfortable. There is just one door into the restaurant which means that as people leave and enter the building a strong breeze enters the room.  A thick curtain can be pulled across the entrance but I presume that as the manager was busy moving around and therefore didn’t feel the cold she didn’t care to pull it across! Admittedly the food was fine but when recalling our experience the atmosphere and service negatively taints the visit. The initial food and drink service was slow and sloppy but when the food finally arrived and we were assigned with just one waitress to bring us our food and check on us throughout the course, we both thought she was very pleasant and witty. It seems the management team let the entire place down. A venue as grand and eye catching as Wildwood, Newmarket has such potential! Add some warmth both in temperature and staff temperament and this would be a more popular place to head to! The top floor looks gorgeous – I would love to hold a drinks evening up there with a jazz pianist! Sadly, at the moment I wouldn’t feel confident that my guests would be looked after and made to feel comfortable. Have I been unlucky at my time at Wildwood, Newmarket? Tell me about your positive experience I am genuinely keen for restaurants in Newmarket to succeed!