No.26 at Aston Marina, Stone

No.26 at Aston Marina, Stone

No.26 Bar & Dining, at Aston Marina near Stone in Staffordshire, offers a tempting selection of seasonal dishes with an emphasis on using local suppliers. On my first visit I enjoyed some satisfying Autumnal food. It wasn’t until after I dined at No.26, Aston Marina‘s …Read more

Stone Food & Drink Festival

Stone Food & Drink Festival

Stone Food & Drink Festival, now in its fifteenth year, seems to be going from strength to strength. Held over the first weekend in October, the 2019 Festival drew huge crowds to the Staffordshire town. As on a number of other years, I joined them …Read more

Amore Restaurant, Newcastle-Under-Lyme

Amore Restaurant, Newcastle-Under-Lyme

Amore serves up solid Italian cooking in a friendly, family-run restaurant in Newcastle-Under-Lyme. On my recent visit I was wowed by their top-notch pasta dishes as well as an unusual starter with a sauce I’d been looking to sample for a while. Excellent choice of …Read more

Food & Drink Round-Up September 2019

Food & Drink Round-Up September 2019

In this post I share some of my food and drink highlights from last month, bringing together the best of the blog and my social media during September 2019. Read about Love Lamb Week, dog friendly eating and drinking in Staffordshire, two  great value restaurants, …Read more

Beirut Restaurant, Stoke-on-Trent

Beirut Restaurant, Stoke-on-Trent

Beirut Lebanese restaurant in Stoke-on-Trent deserves to be so much more widely known. This small and friendly place serves up beautifully cooked food to eat in or take away. Choose from great value mezze small plates, salads, kebabs and Arabic dishes with incredible flavour. As …Read more

Thalii Indian Restaurant, Stoke-on-Trent

Thalii Indian Restaurant, Stoke-on-Trent

Thalii in Stoke-on-Trent offers a way of eating that may be new even to diners who consider themselves old hands in British Indian restaurants. That’s because they specialize in serving tapas sized dishes on a traditional Indian thali tray. On my first visit I loved …Read more

Food & Drink Round-Up August 2019

Food & Drink Round-Up August 2019

In this post I share some of my food and drink highlights from last month, bringing together the best of the blog and my social media during August 2019. Includes quality but affordable dining in Lichfield, Thai lunchtime bargains, tapas at my local village pub, …Read more

Eden Restaurant, Lichfield

Eden Restaurant, Lichfield

Eden in Lichfield has completed its transformation under new owners with its recent ditching of the old Olive Tree name. Last week, I returned to see if the revamped restaurant was continuing to produce the great dishes I’d enjoyed on my first visit. It’s not …Read more

Food & Drink Round-Up July 2019

Food & Drink Round-Up July 2019

In this post I share some of my food and drink highlights from last month, bringing together the best of the blog and my social media during July 2019. Includes holiday eating on Anglesey, homegrown veg, food writing tips and my first taste of Tibetan …Read more

Jervis Arms, Onecote

Jervis Arms, Onecote

The Jervis Arms is set in the beautiful Staffordshire Moorlands Peak District, in the village of Onecote. This characterful country pub offers a warm welcome and good quality cooking. There’s a wide choice of hearty pub favourites as well as something a little different.   …Read more

Four Friends Tibetan Restaurant, Congleton

Four Friends Tibetan Restaurant, Congleton

I ate my first Tibetan food recently, at Four Friends restaurant in Congleton, Cheshire, and loved it. Including beef momo dumplings, chicken curry, noodles and more, we enjoyed it so much we even ordered seconds! As well as being delicious, Four Friends is excellent value …Read more

Anglesey: food highlights from a summer holiday

Anglesey: food highlights from a summer holiday

Anglesey, off the north coast of Wales, is rightly becoming ever more popular. We love it, not just for its stunning beaches and clifftop scenery, but also for its impressive local food scene. In this post I share with you some of my foodie highlights …Read more

Food & Drink Round-Up: June 2019

Food & Drink Round-Up: June 2019

My round-up of food and drink highlights for June 2019 is a little different from previous months. That’s because towards the end of June I went off on my holidays to Anglesey. I’m posting from there right now and I’ll write about it later in …Read more

Congleton Food & Drink Festival

Congleton Food & Drink Festival

Now in its eleventh year, Congleton Food & Drink Festival attracts thousands of people to this Cheshire market town. I went along to the most recent event to sample what was on offer and to bring a nice little haul of goodies home too. A …Read more

Moat House Acton Trussell, Gourmet Dinner

Moat House Acton Trussell, Gourmet Dinner

You know when you’re going to The Moat House, in the pretty Staffordshire village of Acton Trussell, that you’ll eat very well. Whether you’re a guest at one of the many weddings which take advantage of its beautiful fourteenth century manor house setting, are eating …Read more

Food & Drink Round-Up: May 2019

Food & Drink Round-Up: May 2019

In this post I share some of the food and drink highlights from last month, bringing together the best of the blog and from my social media during May 2019.   MICROGREENS There’s something really special about growing your own food and always a feeling …Read more

Hawasana Afghan Cuisine, Stoke-on-Trent

Hawasana Afghan Cuisine, Stoke-on-Trent

Hawasana must be one of Stoke on Trent’s best kept secrets. I’d never heard of this Afghan restaurant until a follower of my Facebook page sent me a message suggesting I try it. “It isn’t the poshest place you’ll ever go to”, she said, “but …Read more

Feast Stone: Street Food Night

Feast Stone: Street Food Night

Feast Stone is the Staffordshire market town’s new street food event. I went along to the first one to see what it was all about & was mightily impressed. Last night saw the first street food event in Stone, the market town which is home …Read more

Food & Drink Round-Up: April 2019

Food & Drink Round-Up: April 2019

In this post I share some of the food and drink highlights from last month, bringing together the best of the blog and from my social media during April 2019.   The Old Mill Smokehouse & Craft Ale Bar, Leek I’d heard mixed feedback about …Read more

The Olive Tree, Lichfield

The Olive Tree, Lichfield

Being a new-ish migrant to Staffordshire, and based in the north of the county, I’ve only recently started to scratch the surface of what Lichfield, an hour’s drive away, has to offer. The city, which I think feels more like a thriving market town (that’s …Read more

The Old Mill Smokehouse, Leek

The Old Mill Smokehouse, Leek

After hearing mixed feedback about newcomer The Old Mill Smokehouse & Craft Ale Bar in Leek, I’d held back a little longer than usual before visiting and writing a review. However, after stopping by for a quick and satisfying lunch recently, I’ll be returning to …Read more

Food & Drink Round-Up: March 2019

Food & Drink Round-Up: March 2019

In this, my first round-up, I want to share with you some of the food and drink I enjoyed over the previous month. Most of this won’t have featured elsewhere on the blog. Usually, my posts are detailed recipes, reviews and profiles of producers and …Read more

Yu-Ma-Mi: take two

Yu-Ma-Mi: take two

On a return visit to Yu-Ma-Mi, Stoke-on-Trent’s fine dining Chinese restaurant based in Trent Vale, I once again found top notch cooking. Combining traditional and modern, old favourites and some less familiar, authentic Chinese dishes including dim sum, Yu-Ma-Mi is a great addition to the …Read more

Little Seeds: New Orleans Tasting Menu

Little Seeds: New Orleans Tasting Menu

After too long away, I recently paid a return visit to Little Seeds Bar & Kitchen in Stone, Staffordshire. Tempted by their New Orleans Tasting Menu, I enjoyed an evening of delicious food. I’m always on the look out for new eating experiences, whether newly …Read more

The George at Alstonefield

The George at Alstonefield

The George at Alstonefield, on the border of Staffordshire and Derbyshire looks like the quintessential country pub. Inside I found top notch modern and creative British cooking featuring local and seasonal ingredients. Highly recommended.   THE GEORGE AT ALSTONEFIELD My first attempt eating at The …Read more