Foodies Archives - Page 2 of 2

The Alchemist Newcastle Launch Party

Ok Voyeurs, this is the big one, the one you’ve been waiting for. For months you’ve been reading the pre-launch hype about the latest bar / restaurant offering to take up residence in the brand new Grey’s Quarter at Intu Eldon Square and now The Alchemist is finally here. I was lucky enough to get pre-launch VIP access so got a chance to have a little nosey round the huge ground floor unit but the official launch party went down on Thursday March 30th.

A truly magical invite landed on our doorstep inviting Bo and I to the VIP launch party, accompanied by a box of matches, all was revealed when a lit match was run over the invite, which promised a night of adventure and alchemy. I planned my outfit weeks in advance but obviously didn’t wear it because I’m a ‘fly by the seat of my pants’ type of gal. I did however, enlist the help of MAC at House of Fraser, Intu Metrocentre to help me create a negative space eyeliner effect as a nod toward The Alchemist’s flair for the dramatic. So, when the night rolled around, Bo and I made our way to The Alchemist fashionably late, natch.

The building has two entrances, one inside the shopping mall and one street entrance – it’s way more impressive from the street entrance and feels less like a mall restaurant from that side. Once inside, the first thing I notice is that The Alchemist is an entirely different beast when it’s packed to the rafters with thirsty peeps. When it’s empty, its eye level curiosities and wall murals seduce you with their gothic magic but when the place is full, these become invisible leaving the bar and it’s residents Alchemists to do the work.

Launch night meant a free bar, at least until 21.30 (which meant the bar area was five deep until exactly 21.30) so whilst it took around 15 minutes to get our first drink, everyone seemed to be in the same boat. Obviously staff at The Alchemist were keen to show off their (b)artistic flair and cocktail making skills so a live Zoltar machine was on hand to assess your personality and assign a matching cocktail which would then be made for you at the bar.

If you’re a fan of spectacular and peculiar cocktails then The Alchemist should be on your radar. With an array of tools including copper pans and Bunsen burners in order to brew your chosen drink to perfection, bar staff are encouraged to ‘prepare with flair’ so you can expect foot high flames, sparks, and seemingly eternally foaming potions. Prepare to wait a little longer for the magic though, it’s not something that’s knocked up in the time it takes to pull a pint of Amstel or pour a simple Amaretto and cranberry. Waiting times for drinks at The Alchemist have faced criticism on social media, however if you’re ordering two or three of their more exotic cocktails, then you just have to suck that up – especially when it’s packed out at its 400 capacity.

We took up residency at a table that gave us a great view of other people’s cocktails being prepared meaning we got to experience the theatre of The Alchemist without the wait – nice. Once the place quietened off a little and the masses moved on, the personality of The Alchemist comes out, you start to notice the nods to Geordie tradition, like the stuffed magpie sitting proudly atop a shelf.

Personally I haven’t sampled the food available at The Alchemist but they do offer menus from brunch right through to dinner and have an extended seating area outside for days when the sun is shining and you want to trade the darkness for sunshine.

So, is it worth a visit? Yes. The Alchemist is somewhere you should visit if only to make up your own mind, it’s definitely a hot ticket and certainly for months to come it’s going to be THE place to be seen. The cocktails aren’t your usual run of the mill Cosmopolitans or Porn Star Martinis, they really are something special, and they’re worth waiting for. The interior decor is cool and the touches of copper sing out through the gothic colour scheme, so go, order something awesome and revel in the theatre that The Alchemist brings to the Newcastle bar scene.

Pixie xo

Categories: The Archives, The Glorious North East, The Lifestyle Edit

Newcastle in the Sky Dine by Flight Experience

Remember Dine by the Tyne – the death defying restaurant experience that saw diners suspended 100ft above the ground to enjoy cocktails and dinner prepared by some of the regions best chefs? Ok well maybe it wasn’t quite as dramatic as that, the point is, it’s back with a new name and some awesome new restaurants on board.

Returning for 2017 as Newcastle in the Sky, this ‘dine by flight’ experience will return to its previous location at The Sage, overlooking the Newcastle Quayside, due to delays at the intended Stephenson Quarter site.

With just five months to go until Newcastle in the Sky hits the North East and tickets already flying (see what I did there?) The event looks set to sell out all over again. August 24th -29th is the period you’ll be able to take flight and enjoy culinary delights served up by chefs and mixologists from Browns, SIX, Aveika, Hawthorns, Chaophraya, Artisan, La Yuan, The Vermont Hotel, Livello and The Gin Bar. Once you’re over the whole height thing, the only problem you’ll have is which one to choose.

To give you a helping hand, you’ll be able to choose from breakfast, lunch, dinner or cocktail flights (Livello and The Gin Bar will be supplying the drinks flights, while breakfast will be served by Brown’s. Lunch and evening dinner will be provided by SIX, Artisan, Aveika, Chaophraya, Hawthorns and La Yuan.)

“We are happy to return to Performance Square, the views of the river and bridges are spectacular. With our Title sponsor DS Automobiles and other exciting changes, the team are more determined than ever to deliver another outstanding event in the heart of the north east.” Jacqui McKirdy, Event Director, Newcastle in the Sky.

If you missed out on this experience last year, or you managed to get tickets but want to try a breakfast, or cocktails, then you’d better be quick! I was way too soft last year, I bottled it at the last minute but I’ve been told to man up and get on board this year and I’ve promised I’ll do it (although I can’t promise there’ll be no tears or tantrums). For tickets, visit Events in the Sky or call 07808 527 039 for corporate bookings.

See you in the sky!

Pixie xo

Categories: The Archives, The Glorious North East, The Lifestyle Edit

Laneway & Co Newcastle

If you’re either from, or living in Newcastle, you’ll know it’s a city with an ever changing landscape. Whether it’s new and top drawer student accommodation or amazing new stores on the high street, Newcastle is a city thats pace is lightening quick.

A short walk from the bustling shopping centre is High Bridge; an authentic cobbled street which once bustled with independent fashion and record stores and one of my favourites in the 90’s. In recent times, High Bridge has seen many of these cool, urban type stores go out of business or move on, however today, the split street seems to be going through something of a revival.

One of the last remaining High Bridges originals, Henry’s Barbers, stands solid on the middle of the street, refusing to be threatened by recession or new businesses, in fact it’s barely changed since conception and has become one of those places that every Geordie knows of. The recent addition of Motel One on High Bridge has seen an influx of new customers hit the street and with that comes new business.

Enter Laneway & Co. We all know the power of a great coffee and we all know how elusive that can be. Torn between forgoing an early morning cup of coffee to support local business which opens at 9am, or pouring cash into a national chain to get your fix? Well Laneway & Co wants to change that.

High bridge is a short street that links the Bigg Market to Grey Street and there’s a lot of footfall during both rush hours as busy business people travel to and from work. What does that mean? It’s a location crying out for an aces independent coffee shop and now, that’s exactly what it has. With it’s fresh, white and inviting interior, Laneway basks in it’s simplicity and lets the coffee do the talking.

A simple premise; just two fun loving guys who spent some time in Australia appreciating the coffee shop boom and mentality and spinning it into something that could work in the UK. These guys are smart. Not just book smart, but savvy. The shop is pet friendly and child friendly. I note the absence of garish prints on the wall that other big chains have and mentally note that this is a completely safe place to bring my autistic son, not overstimulating at all.

The guys here are chilled and damn do they know their stuff. They regale me with stories of how coffee should be given time to ‘de-gas’ in order to taste the flavours properly and how their machinery is cleaned at regular intervals throughout the day to ‘protect the integrity and taste of the coffee.’ It’s safe to say they’re passionate about what they do.

The big things to note here are that Laneway serve up a pretty damn awesome cup of coffee and that they’re open from 7.30am. Yes, 7.30am, Hallelujah. Once you’ve navigated the menu and chosen your blend, you’ll find that the coffee served here is akin to what you might buy in Spain or Italy and man, am I a fan. With Mama Tenenbaum living in Menorca, I’ve gotten used to drinking awesome coffee when I go to visit and so coffee served in the UK never seems to cut it. Laneway challenges that and comes pretty damn close so for that reason, it gets a massive thumbs up from me Voyeurs.

If you’re in or visiting Newcastle and need a fix, or just fancy a little time out from the hustle and bustle of the city without venturing too far, head to Laneway Coffee Co and I challenge you not to be impressed….

Pixie x

Laneway Coffee Co is at 17-19 High Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 1EW

Categories: The Archives

The Plough, Alnwick

With its cool calming colour scheme and hunting lodge detailing, it’s hard not to feel relaxed and comfortable in the newly refurbished Plough in Alnwick. With £150k ploughed in to the renovation (see what I did there?!) everything from the contemporary decor right down to the staff and their uniforms, has been carefully selected in order to create a real luxury boutique brand identity.

From its ample parking concealed behind a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ recessed archway, to the carefully planned bedrooms and suites, this boutique hotel is a thoughtful home away from home, and a real destination. I whisked Sparky for a pre-birthday getaway in the gorgeous town of Alnwick and The Plough was to be our lodgings for the night – we arrived on a bright sunny day and after a brief stop off at fab bookstore Barter Books, we checked in and were shown to our hunting lodge themed room on the first floor.

The first thing that strikes you in each of the rooms at The Plough is the thoughtful home comforts, the standard of presentation and the cleanliness – A slate tray of brownies or cookies is laid out in each room on arrival, along with locally produced crisps, soft drinks and bottled water. There’s a Nespresso coffee machine with a variety of coffee blends and a plug in fan just in case. We’re also informed there’s an iron and ironing board should we need it (we don’t, I barely iron at home let alone when I’m on vacation).

Staff at The Plough are friendly, helpful and very pre-emptive. Before I’ve even had the chance to verbalise my thoughts of dinner, I’ve been booked into the restaurant and I’m starting to wonder whether they might be trained in mind reading. Uniforms take their cue from twenties era New York paperboys and it works, the shirt, tie and tweed waistcoat combo looks super cute.

Once we’re sorted we head down to the bar to sample some of the amazing drinks on offer, the back bar is a smorgasbord of gins and spirits and once we’re settled with a (locally distilled) gin and tonic and a beer, we chat to the barman who tells us stories about how The Plough has changed over the years and how he genuinely loves working there.

After a quick change, we head out to the first floor dining room for dinner where we spent far too much time cooing over the amazingly rich, decadent menu and being indecisive, the thought of local North East produce being a real draw. Taking it’s cue from the hunting lodge theme, there’s something here to suit all tastes, from sea bass with pak choi to lamb with sautéed sweet breads and the presentation is divine, it’s almost too pretty to eat and near enough all of it is sourced in the glorious North East.

The food served at The Plough is soul food. It’s a well put together menu and although we were left completely satisfied, we still found ourselves oohing and aahing over other peoples dishes.

Following in the vein of most boutique hotels, The Plough also offers a bar menu for casual dining, an Afternoon Tea menu (natch) and an a la carte menu. Interestingly, we discovered that there is also a huge and pretty well hidden room available for weddings and functions; as we were guided through the myriad of corridors we arrived at a huge, luminescent Aladdin’s Cave with a mezzanine floor and gallery staircase – a great alternative venue for parties.

After our evening meal we took a walk around Alnwick and were surprised to find just how close The Plough is to both Alnwick Castle and Alnwick Garden, with less than five minutes walk to each, The Plough is perfectly placed to facilitate a short break just miles out of the city centre of Newcastle. There are also some quirky boutiques in the town centre, Hotspur 1364 menswear is a hidden gem and well worth a visit.

When it came to settling down for the evening, we sunk into a mass of pillows and feathers as we lay in the super comfortable (but a little short) bed and had sweet dreams until morning. Breakfast is included with each stay at The Plough and it’s not to be missed – the cooked breakfast menu is supplemented with a selection of serve yourself cereals, fruit, yoghurts and juices and everything else is cooked to order. I went for my all time favourite breakfast: Eggs Benedict (reminds me of my days in Miami) and Sparky chose a Full English, coupled with freshly prepared breakfast smoothies and coffee, what we ate made for the perfect breakfast. Credit where it’s due, the Eggs Benedict at The Plough is without doubt the best I’ve ever eaten and I’ve lived in the States so that’s really saying something.

If Alnwick is the heart of the Northumberland countryside, then The Plough is surely the heart of Alnwick – with friendly, proactive staff who are well learned in the products they’re serving, comfortable surroundings and a relaxed atmosphere, The Plough should be on your list of things to do this Summer. Whether you pop in for dinner or afternoon tea or do as we did and have a sleepover, I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed and this day and age that’s a rarity. The Plough is a hidden gem that deserves to be discovered and once you do, you’ll be back again and again, this is one place that truly lives up to its admirable four star rating.

Pixie x

We stayed in Room 1 at The Plough, for more information and for hotel and restaurant bookings

The Plough, 24 Bondgate Without, Alnwick, Northumberland NE66 1PN

Tel: 01665 602395
Email: info@theploughalnwick.co.uk