It’s been another busy two months since my last post. Beside the expected food tasting and cooking, I’ve also become an Aunty for the sixth time to Eddie Joseph, and what a beauty he is! I’ll be splitting this update over two separate blogs. Keep posted for ’72 Hours in Scandinavia’……coming soon!

A Lancashire Road Trip:

I headed back over to my ‘home side’ of the Pennines earlier last month, to the red rose county of Lancashire. Although officially my home town Oldham is now part of Greater Manchester, out of respect for Joseph Briggs, my proud late Lancastrian Grandfather, we’ll let that one slide! Oh and Thomas managed not to spontaneously combust, despite being a Yorkshire man on the alleged ‘wrong side’ of the Pennines. That argument continues……

Our trip began with a night in the city of Lancaster, just over a 2 hour drive from Leeds. After checking in to our centrally based Sun Studios apartment, we headed out for a stroll around the city, taking in the sights of the castle and popping into the Toll Inn for an obligatory Friday afternoon beer.

After a recommendation from our host, we decided to go to Sun Cafe for our dinner that evening. And yes, Sun Cafe is on Sun Street next door from Sun Studies, I kid you not!

Despite the unoriginality of the Street, the meal was excellent. The menu was a combination of British classics with a Mediterranean flare, and influences from Italy, France and North African clearly present.

After some deliberation we ordered, for sharing, Lancashire Cheese Potato Cake with Red Onion Chutney, Hummus, Mushroom Pate an assortment of fresh breads to share. For mains I opted for the delicious Roast Chicken Fillet stuffed with Chorizo, Thomas went for the Asparagus & Ricotta Tortellini. The Chicken came with beautifully cooked Fondant Potatoes and a Lemon Beurre Blanc sauce. There was no other choice but to share a desert, we couldn’t miss out, but we were too full for a whole one each. The Creme Brûlée was shouting out to us and we couldn’t resist. We washed our meal down with a lovely bottle of Montepulciano D’Abruzzo red wine.

In addition to the great food, the staff here were great too, even sparing time to pose for a photo along with the chef and owner!

https://www.thesuncafe.co.uk

After the meal we headed over to the Ye Olde John O’Gaunt for a night cap whilst a local band played out some classic rock songs.

The next morning we made the short 15 minute drive over to the seaside village of Heysham for breakfast, stopping by at Tracey’s Homemade Pies & Cafe. We got talking to a local couple over breakfast, who were more than happy to advise us on where to go next. Afterwards we walked through the beautiful rustic village and down to the beach.

We continued our journey down to Poulton Le Fylde, our destination for the evening, by taking the scenic route along the coast to Cleveleys, an old fashioned seaside town just a few miles north of Blackpool. We stopped to enjoy some chips on the beach, loaded with salt and vinegar of course.

We arrived at Rachel and Mike’s mid-afternoon, Rachel being my cousin who’s married to my school friend Mike. It’s a long story! Along with friends Nicky and Andy we headed into Poulton centre for a few drinks which was followed by dinner at The Lemon Tree Indian. I enjoyed a Chicken Murghi Makhani, which was sweet, spicy and tangy. Not your ‘typical‘ Indian dish, but really really delicious. New bars are opening frequently in the market town, alongside a number of well-established traditional pubs.

It was great spending some time over in Lancashire, the unusually warm and sunny weather was certainly a bonus. Secretly, Thomas really knows what side of the Pennines is the best, he just doesn’t want to admit it! 😊

Supper Club back at The Union Coffee House:

It was great to be back at the lovely Union Coffee House in Leeds last month, to serve up my ‘around the world’ supper club. This was my fifth supper club to date.

I really enjoy hosting at The Union in such a quirky laid back atmosphere. After ‘going vegan’ at my last one, this time I served dishes that I’ve tried on my travels. I decided on a combination of dishes from my previous nights, and served up food from Malaysia, Brazil, Morocco and The Caribbean.

Team Messy Cook we’re once again on top form, I couldn’t host these nights without them. We’re heading back there on 1st September, when I’ll be serving up a brand new menu. Further details on tickets and menu to be shared soon.

Summer 2018 Trips:

I’ve got lots of UK trips planned this summer including; a cottage holiday in the Lake District, camping in the Yorkshire Dales, hopping back over to Northern Ireland, a weekend in Glasgow, and a 10 day South West road trip. On this trip we’ll be taking in a visit to foodie haven Ludlow, yurting on the Gower (South Wales), and heading to Bristol’s Balloon Festival…….I’ll make sure to share my adventures with you all!

x The Messy Cook x