Fashion Voyeur

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Categories: Fashion, North East

Grey Goose Ice Bar at STACK Newcastle

The Ice Bar slid back into Newcastle this week for its second term at STACK, this time with a shiny new sponsor in the form of Grey Goose Vodka and making its grand entrance with a New York theme.

That’s right, everything inside has a nod to the city that never sleeps and it’s just fabulous.  From the huge to the very tiny, there’s something to capture your attention for every single one of the twenty minutes you get inside and it’s all been painstakingly carved out of, or encased in ice.

New York Nicks Basketballs encased in ice in the New York themed ice bar at STACK Newcastle in January 2020

We were invited along on launch day to check it out.  When you arrive you sign in at a welcome cabin and you’re given vouchers dependent on which package you’ve booked – we were there for the basic entry deal, a simple entry to the Ice Bar, shot of something from the bar and a hot chocolate after leaving.  After signing in you’re given gloves and a faux fur hooded cloak to keep you toasty once inside.

You enter the Ice Bar in groups which are pre-booked online so it’s never overcrowded and the numbers are controlled in order to maintain the temperature inside.  Once you get in there you’re immediately faced with ice, and a lot of it.  You  round a corner into the bar and it opens out into what’s actually a pretty big space.

Inside the New York themed Grey Goose Ice Bar at STACK Newcastle

The bar itself is completely carved from ice, as are the glasses the shots are served in.  The toffee Schnapps served as the drink included in the entry fee is simply divine, it’s made fresh on site each evening by the bar staff specially for the event to a recipe they “just came up with”.  There’s also a non-alcoholic apple version available for kids (or adults who just fancy it) and I have it on good authority that that’s pretty amazing too.

Shot glasses made of ice at the Ice Bar in STACK Newcastle in Jan 2020

So what can you expect to see inside the Ice Bar and is it worth going back if you visited last year?  Well, yes actually.  It’s better.  I’d say it’s a lot better.  Firstly, this time everything is tied up with a theme so it makes more sense, secondly there’s a designated seating area and it’s decked out with rugs so if you want to just sit, you can.

The main focal point is the Friends set piece and sofa, it’s the definite Insta zone of the Ice Bar and the lighting around it is so much better than it was in there last year so make a beeline for that if you get in there this year.  There’s some sporting memorabilia in there too in the form of the baseball bat with which Babe Ruth scored his first ever home run and it’s fully encased in ice.

The famous blue Manolo Blahnik pumps given to Carrie by Big in Sex and The City are in the ice too as well as some Tiffany jewellery and there’s a Yellow cab carved out of ice which looks really slick.  Oh, and it just wouldn’t be NYC without Lady Liberty in there now would it?

The Statue of Liberty carved entirely from ice on display in the Grey Goose Ice Bar at STACK Newcastle

After twenty minutes are up, and trust me you’ll be feeling it at sub zero temperatures, you’re ushered out in your group and directed to the end of the bar where you’re served hot chocolate topped with cream and marshmallows and given the option of mingling with the masses at STACK or heading to the Warm Room at the opposite end of the DJ stand to defrost fully.

Overall, it’s a fun activity, doesn’t take up a huge amount of time and doesn’t cost a fortune.  Check it out while it’s here, it’s not around for long.

Pixie

TICKET PRICES

Mon-Thurs (Off Peak) / Fri-Sun (peak)

STANDARD ADULT — £10.00 off peak /£15.00 peak

Includes Entry
Jacket and Glove Hire
Ice Shot (alcoholic or non-alcoholic)
Hot Chocolate

PREMIUM ADULT — £15.00 off peak / £20.00 peak

Includes Entry
Jacket and Glove Hire
Ice Shot (alcoholic or non-alcoholic)
Hot Chocolate
Glass of Prosecco or Bottle of Beer

CHILDREN — £6.00 per child

No Under 7’s are permitted in the Ice Bar

Includes Entry
Jacket and Glove Hire
Ice Shot (non-alcoholic)
Hot Chocolate

FAMILY TICKETS — £30.00 off peak / £38.00 peak

A family booking can be made consisting of 2 adults and 2 children.  More children can be added for £6.00 per child.

Includes Entry
Jacket and Glove Hire Ice Shot (alcoholic or non-alcoholic)
Hot Chocolate

Categories: Fashion, North East

Skull Decorating at Moth Studios

If you know me in real life then you’ll know I have a love of skulls, beetles, bugs and a general interest in the macabre.  Call me weird (I kinda like that), my aunt is a witch and I guess a little of that weird shit rubbed off on me.  I like to think of my back story a little like Maleficent’s, but cards on the table, I’m way darker.

I’m constantly scrolling taxidermy websites and looking to Pinterest for decorated longhorns and roe skulls, if you haven’t looked, seriously, you can find some amazing hand carved, real animal skulls on there if you’re willing to stump up for the extortionate shipping charges.  In America these were common place, we could walk the malls and find these in TJ Maxx and nobody would bat an eyelid, you could go to cattle farms and buy this kind of thing with your food shopping, as long as you were prepared to go through the clean up process yourself.  Here in the UK however, things like this are a little harder to get hold of, unless you know where to look.

I came across Moth Studios as part of the Breeze Creatives group in Newcastle.  This group of creative souls from the North East is housed in a rabbit warren of super cool studios at Bamburgh House.  Owner Sherene has a love and an insane talent for taxidermy and entomology.  Her studio is lined with bugs, spiders, posed anthropomorphic mice, birds and collected animal skulls.  We’ve become friends over the years that we’ve known each other and support each others businesses, it’s a most excellent relationship.  Moth Studios have a pretty unique way of coming up with the goods so to speak, with a massive number of suppliers from all over the UK and further afield, Sherene regularly travels to pick up dead animals, insects and skulls that people have either found, or have had living on farms.  It’s an odd conversation the first time you have it, now it’s just standard; this morning in fact we were chatting about how there’s a robin in the freezer that will make a perfect Christmas themed piece.  Everything she uses has been collected, found or donated and died naturally, that’s the first hard and fast rule of Moth Studios.  Nothing produced in the studio will ever have come from hunted or deliberately killed livestock.

So, after spending time out in the States and seeing this type of thing in American ranches, I promised myself that when I finally got round to overhauling my sitting room, I’d hang some sort of skull in there.  The best part?  With Moth Studios I’d get a hand in create the final product myself.  I booked myself on to one of their Skull decorating workshops and got more and more nervous as the weeks and days ticked by until my class.  What if I wasn’t creative enough?  What if I couldn’t rise to the challenge?  What if I was freaked out by having to actually hold a real animal skull??

I needn’t have worried.  The class is super relaxed and the studio is equipped with everything you need.  From pinned butterflies and peacock feathers to moss and bark, there’s pretty much everything imaginable for decorating your chosen skull type.  Classes are set up for a maximum of 7 people so you get enough time with Sherene if you need specific help with ideas, or anything else.  On arrival you choose one large skull (usually from a roe deer or fox) and one small (normally from a squirrel or bird) then everything else is down to you.

Skulls in hand, I took my seat and pretty much spent 30 minutes just watching what other people did.  After I decided I was going for a flowers and moss kind of vibe; I grabbed some fake flowers, moss and gold foil and set to work.  It’s quite an intense class, especially for someone like me who’s not that visually creative outside the arena of fashion, but once you get in the zone, it’s incredibly therapeutic.  Sidebar, I live with an incredibly challenging disabled child (Sherene will vouch), life gets tough, things get in your head and escaping that is hard.  This class?  Pure bliss for someone who lives their life minute to minute owing to reasons way beyond their sphere of control and influence.  It’s a chance to unwind and the level of focus required means that you have little time for other thoughts to creep in and take over.  Some people take up pottery or knitting, me?  I’m out here painting up skulls and loving every minute.

A decorated roe skull in Moth Studios designed and created by Blogger pixie Tenenbaum at a skull decorating workshop with Sherene Scott in Newcastle. - Fashion Voyeur Blog

Three blissful hours later I’m the proud owner and creator of a pretty awesome roe skull.  Decorated with flowers, feathers, moss, a little barkflower and painstakingly applied gold foil.  I’m proud.  Real proud.  The small skull I left in its natural state, I had an idea to create some kind of bio-zone type thing inside a kilner jar along with some moss, sticks and bark with a pinned butterfly and I was pretty impressed with the fact that I did this within days of bringing the stuff home, rather than leave it sitting, like I’ve done with my gym kit for the last six months.

Next up, bug pinning, I have a feeling I’m going to be a regular here…

Pixie

Categories: Lifestyle, North East, Uncategorized

Cocktail Tasting at Tapas Revolution

Almost a year ago to the day I was invited to the launch of Spanish restaurant Tapas Revolution in the newly revamped Grey’s Quarter of Intu Eldon Square.  Since then, Grey’s Quarter has become a destination for those seeking quick, easy access to great quality food and drink in Newcastle and it’s not just Spanish food on offer either.  The addition of The Alchemist has ensured that Grey’s Quarter stays open long after store closing time and has meant that surrounding outlets have had to seriously up their game when it comes to their drinks menus.

Fast forward to a year after an evening of tapas tasting and I’m back at Tapas Revolution for the intimate launch of their brand new cocktail menu which aims to offer something for everyone, along with a flavour of Spain…

Bo and I arrived at Tapas Revolution fresh from another launch event and were a little flustered.  We were greeted by our Bar Tender Marco and shown through to a private booth in the bar area of the restaurant which looks out over Old Eldon Square – it’s only a little thing, but it makes eating or drinking in the shopping centre a way more attractive prospect when you can actually see outside.  Once we were seated and decidedly less flustered, we were given a menu and asked to select three cocktails each which we decided to drink in rounds, rather than have on the table all at once.

First of all let’s address my awesome outfit, I wore vintage Pringle golf trousers with a topshop tee and a super cosy faux fur tee, might not sound like much but these are literally my current favourite trousers so any excuse I get to talk about them, I’m taking it.

On to the drinks.  The menu has had a significant revamp and it’s split into the traditional Spanish style Gin and Tonic menu which I was thrilled to see included two of my most favourite and difficult to find gins, Larios and Xoriguer (if you haven’t tried Xoriguer gin I urge you to find it, you’ll never look at a bottle of Hendricks again) all served with Fevertree tonics of varying flavours. Next to that you’ll find the cocktail menu, there are eight Spanish inspired cocktails to choose from and a selection of three Sangrias.  Cocktails vary from short to long and each has a strong vacation vibe in that you could easily imagine yourself sitting on Sant Tomas Beach watching the waves roll in sipping on one of these bad boys.  Even though the menu is concise, it’s difficult to make a choice because they’ve managed to select drinks that are very different from one another but you know, in the name of duty we managed it.  We went for:

ESPRESSO BLANCO MARTINI £8.50

Espresso Blanco Martini, Tapas Revolution Newcastle
ESPRESSO BLANCO MARTINI £8.50

Served in a traditional Martini glass, this smooth drink comprises Veterano brandy shaken with cold brew espresso, milk, dark chocolate liqueor, Kahlua and Frangelico.  Basically all the sugary alcohol that tastes like no alcohol at all.  It’s super easy to drink because of the added milk which makes it smooth and not as bitter as some Espresso Martinis you’ll find in Newcastle.  This was my favourite and truth be told, I ended up having three.

PASSION FRUIT & MARZIPAN BATIDA £8.50

Passion Fruit & Marzipan Batida, Tapas Revolution Newcastle
PASSION FRUIT & MARZIPAN BATIDA £8.50

A blend of vanilla and marzipan flavoured vodkas, condensed milk (yes really), tigernut milk and passionfruit juice shaken with pimento dram and Disaronno amaretto to create heaven in a glass.  This was Bo’s favourite and listen up Voyeurs, they should rename this one Lethal Weapon, it’s stealthy because it’s like sippin’ on a more-ish shake.  Creamy yet refreshing.

PIMENTO & MANDARIN DAIQUIRI £8.50

Pimento & Mandarin Daiquiri, Tapas Revolution Newcastle
PIMENTO & MANDARIN DAIQUIRI £8.50

A short cocktail served in a short stem class with a blend of Bacardi rum, mandarin, melon and pimento dram, shaken with caramelised pineapple and lime.  This one tastes as it sounds, it’s a little bitter and whilst it’s less exciting than the two above, it’s still a refreshing cocktail.  What you won’t expect though it the crunchy pieces that sit in the liquid, those tiny pieces of caramelised pineapple and lime give this drink some much needed bite.

BLOOD ORANGE & CHERRY ROYAL £7.50

Blood Orange & Cherry Royal, Tapas Revolution Newcastle
BLOOD ORANGE & CHERRY ROYAL £7.50

Another short cocktail vibrant in colour and topped off with fresh mint which I couldn’t help nibbling on.  this one has Larios gin, blood orange, aguardiente de cerezas, pimento dram all shaken up with lemon and topped with cava to cut through the sweetness and add a touch of fizz.  If there’s a drink that tastes like vacations by the sea then this is it, refreshing to the core and definitely one that looks as sophisticated as it tastes.

After we were cocktailed out, we opted for a jug of Sangria, the menu offers a choice of four typical Spanish Sangrias and one Skinny Sangria with 30% less sugar than the others.  We opted for a Sangria with a rose wine base.

BLOOD ORANGE ROSE SANGRIA £16

Blood Orange Rose Sangria, Tapas Revolution Newcastle

Made with rose wine, blood oranges, grapefruit, lemon, orange and lime, this offered a lighter, fresher, more citrus alternative to the traditional Sangria which is made with pineapple, strawberry and other fruits.  Not sure what to expect after conjuring images of drinking Sangria to excess in our high school days, Marco arrived at our table with a jug, a wooden spoon and two tumblers.  As you no doubt know, Sangria gets way stronger the further down the jug you get, no matter how much you stir it.  I stuck to the top of the jug whilst Bo demolished the bottom half.  As a Sangria it’s very unexpected, it’s light and refreshing, where some can be very dark and quite difficult to detect the alcohol, this one had a citrusy top note with a definite rose taste to it.  Pleasant and most definitely Spanish.

When it comes to pricing, the drinks are at the cheaper end of the scale for cocktails and that’s most likely because the primary function of tapas Revolution is as a restaurant.  However, you can visit just for drinks without buying food and even better, if you visit between 12-7pm Sunday to Friday jugs of Sangria are half price, cocktails are 2 for 1, and Larios gin and tonic is also 2 for 1.  That’s way more than a Happy Hour, that’s a Happy Day, and you can’t say fairer than that.

Pixie

Categories: Lifestyle, North East

A Visit to Crêpeaffaire Newcastle

With the influx of new restaurants to the still reasonably new Grey’s Quarter wing of Intu Eldon Square, tucked away in a corner is one I’ve been looking forward to trying.  Whilst the likes of Tapas Revolution and The Alchemist opened to huge fanfare, a smaller, more niche eatery opened on the ground floor…

Menu and drinks at Crepeaffaie Newcastle Intu Eldon Square

Crêpeaffaire is a small restaurant that specialises in gorgeous, soft, French style crêpes.  Whether you eat them sweet or savoury, these guys are experts in cooking up pancakes with all manner of fillings, and there’s a small selection of waffles available too if you fancy something (slightly) different.  Plankton and I were invited along to try out the brand new luxury menu, however on arrival there was some confusion over this as seemingly there is no luxury menu – just one simple, easy to understand menu that’s been around since the Newcastle branch opened for business exactly one year ago this week.

BANANALICIOUS WITH EXTRA CREAM & ICE CREAM
APPLE CRUMBLE WITH EXTRA CREAM AND ICE CREAM

We took a corner seat and scanned the menu with Plankton opting for a Bananalicious crêpe with Belgian chocolate, extra whipped cream, and a scoop of chocolate ice cream and a chocolate milkshake.  I went for the Apple Crumble crêpe which I’m told is one of the most popular items on the menu.  Promising lashings of cinnamon apple, sultanas, butterscotch sauce and crumble topping, I knew this was going to be good but still couldn’t resist adding whipped cream and vanilla ice cream from the extra toppings menu.  I did however wash it down with a Kale smoothie which I think negates most of that right?

Everything is prepared from scratch in the open kitchen and the wait is short, we had our pancakes in front of us in around five minutes meaning I didn’t really need to entertain Plankton whilst we waited.  Presentation, if you’re interested in that kind of thing is very good, the ice cream is served in a separate chilled bowl so that it doesn’t melt on the hot crêpes and the cream is served on the side for the same reason.  Plankton needed help to cut his up but once sliced, it was polished off quickly with the odd pause to tell me how amazing it tasted and how we should bring Bo along next time.

Pixie and Plankton Tenenbaum visit Crepeaffaire Newcastle to try out the latest additions to the menu

Mine was completely lush, way better than I expected in fact, after all it’s just flour, eggs and milk right?  With the cinnamon, apple and sultana it’s actually a pretty awesome festive treat and a great alternative to the traditional sweet mince pies or Christmas cake you see at this time of year.  The ice cream cut through the sweetness perfectly and the kale smoothie made me feel like I was actually eating healthy food.  Actually that’s a flat out lie but I’m a massive kale fan and can’t resist a bit of the green stuff in a smoothie if it’s on the menu.

The drinks menu has the regular coffee offerings you expect to see from a place that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner; smoothies and milkshakes and fresh juices as well as a few others.  With crêpes ranging in price from £5.10 to £8.50 it’s easy to rack up a bill when you start adding extras – ours would have cost just under £30 in total which we thought was quite expensive for the two of us.

WHAT’S THE VERDICT?

Crêpeaffaire is quick and easy, the food is good.  I’m not a fan of savoury crêpes so can’t comment on those but there’s a wide selection on the menu including Eggs Benedict and Mexican Chicken so they’re definitely committed to giving their customers choice.  Our crêpes were lovely and Plankton really enjoyed the whole experience but taking kids will definitely jack the price up so beware of those extras!  It’s definitely on the more expensive side and portions aren’t huge so after we left, we visited the Christmas Market and bought snacks to pacify our hunger.  Looking for somewhere with fast service and a tasty snack whilst you’re out in town?  Then Crêpeaffaire will most definitely fill that gap but be aware that it could get costly.  Lush, but a little pricey.

Pixie xo

Our meal was provided free of charge in exchange for an honest and impartial review.

Categories: Lifestyle, North East, Pixie

Hadrian’s Tipi Returns to Newcastle

Hadrian’s Tipi is back in the Toon for the 2017 Christmas season!  If you visited the festive Tipi on the Central Station site in Newcastle in 2016 then you’re in for a real treat this time round, it’s back on a brand new site and it’s bigger than ever!

Hadrian's Tipi logo on the outside wall

I visited with Plankton for the official launch night and let me tell you, it’s nothing like last year!  Hadrian’s Tipi can be found on the infamous old Odeon site at the bottom end of Northumberland Street, right in front of Commercial Union House.  This year it comes with a whole Street Food village attached to it all lit up with festive fairy lights.

Hadrian's Tipi collage of images showing street food, live music, and festive fun at the original Central station location

First up, access for the time being is a funny one, part of the site is still a working demolition zone so to access the tipi we had to walk down Pilgrim Street on one side and then back up the other.  Plankton has been psyched about visiting the tipi for days, he’s called it the tutu and the pipi which has made things a little confusing but needless to say, when he saw it all lit up in the dark, I think he almost cried.

Plankton Tenenbaum eating a massive hotdog from a street food vendor at Hadrian'd Tipi 2017

We were greeted on arrival with hot cider and mulled wine and before we’d taken two steps Plankton spotted a German bratwurst street food stall and his eyes lit up.  We stopped to eat at a long picnic bench where the people either side were in great spirits and chatted to Plankton about his night, he told them he’d only just arrived but was planning on getting very drunk.  Yes, he seriously said that.  The bratwurst was good, at £5.50 it’s on the expensive side for a hotdog but in line with what you’d expect to pay for festive street food and he ate every last scrap of it so definitely worth it.

List of street food vendors at Hadrian's Tipi for 2017

The tipi is marketed as child and pet friendly and we saw a few other families taking advantage of the large outside seated area at the back, and in the tipi itself watching the live music, as well as lots of people with dogs.  We spotted my lovely pal Imogen from Newcastle fashion label Fash1 so Plankton took the opportunity to pet her adorable pet dogs by the open fire.  The majority of people there were there for a night out but don’t let that put you off taking kids, we still had a great time during our visit and I’m biased of course, but the people in Newcastle are the friendliest people you’ll meet.

Launch night at Hadrian’s Tipi was busy.  I took Plankton along not really knowing what to expect but the atmosphere there was great, and very festive.  From the fir tree garlands inside the tipi to the decorated tipi poles, every effort has been made to ensure that it feels like Holiday season whilst you’re in there.  There’s different live music on inside the tipi daily and there are wooden benches and crates to sit on and barrel table tops, if you manage to get in there early enough then be sure to grab a seat by the open fire pit to stay toasty and to create the perfect Instagram capture.

Plankton Tenenbaum drinking R Place White Hot Chocolate at Hadrian's Tipi
Plankton enjoying his White Hot Chocolate

Plankton and I wandered instead of staying static, and enjoyed trying out different foods from the street food sellers, we loved the white hot chocolate from R Place coffee and the American burgers from Fat Hippo and we’ll definitely back for more during the tipi’s 2017 stint.  The new location makes it easier for families using the tipi on a weekend too, in fact it’s perfectly positioned for a hot chocolate after viewing the brand new Fenwick Christmas Window.

In or around Newcastle between now and Christmas?  Then it’s definitely worth a visit if you want to amp up your festive-ness!  Want to know Plankton’s views?  His official review: “I thought it was going to be crap but it was actually awesome and I loved it!”  Yeah, he’s got a real way with words this one…

Pixie xo