The George of Harpenden

Published in The Herts Advertiser July 2019

The George of Harpenden

You will have seen the building work taking place at The George on Harpenden High Street in the last few months, and at last the scaffolding is down and it’s open. It’s quite a transformation!

Dating back to the late 19^th century, it was originally known as The George Hotel, and it now has a slightly more aspirational name: The George of Harpenden.

I hadn’t been in for years, and the new look is dramatic; it’s a really large pub and they have created a lovely open feel, with areas for drinks at the front, booth seating, a large dining space near the open kitchen, a conservatory area (‘the garden room’), and outside seating too. And it’s open all day, from morning coffee through to dinner, so I think it will be a really useful addition to the town. Family friendly, which it needs to be in Harpenden, but you can also find a quiet corner if you want to work during the day or have a child-free drink. The styling reminds me of The Ivy in St Albans, with jungly wallpaper and swish seating; they have clearly spent a fortune. The open kitchen with a huge pizza oven and Josper grill is at the heart of the pub, which gives the place a buzz.

We went in for a midweek lunch; it isn’t clear when you walk in where you are meant to go (maybe someone at the door would help?) but the bartender was friendly and helpful. The menu is extensive, with sourdough pizzas, sharing meze plates, a ‘fire’ menu, steaks, burgers, pub classics, as well as a brunch menu, so I am sure you will find something you like. A huge menu is usually a bad sign, but they seem equipped to handle it, with plenty of staff walking around, and a busy kitchen.

The Josper grill menu has its own introduction (400C coals, everything roasted to perfection etc) so we ordered Moroccan spiced cauliflower steak, which came with tabbouleh and saffron soya yoghurt sauce (12.5). This was a generous, delicious lunch. Roasted lamb shank and tuna steaks sound good too, and I am sure suit the grill approach, although at 17.00, a bit pricey. Sides are extra.

I chose a pub classic to see if they can do that well too, and my cod and chips was lovely and well presented, with grilled lemon, pea purée, and a tartare sauce made with samphire and pickled cucumber. At 15.00 it’s quite pricey for the area. We sat near the bar at the front of the pub, not realising that there was a huge dining area at the back, but we weren’t forgotten and service was good.

You can definitely just go in for drinks; the cocktail and gin menus include all the classics, and there is a sensible wine list too – nothing hugely exciting, but absolutely fine for a pub of this size. The beer menu focuses on bottled beers but they do have Meantime pale ale on draft, which went well with my fish and chips.

Brunch and breakfast is available 8 until 3 (8–11 on Sundays) and sounds great, with cooked breakfasts, granola, pastries, smoothie bowl, shakshuka, eggs benedict and bubble and squeak. I have to mention the vegan English, as everything else is self-explanatory, and I haven’t seen this elsewhere locally – you get vegan sausages, tofu scramble, Josper-roasted tomatoes, bubble and squeak and butterbeans in tomato sauce. I think that sounds amazing, whether veggie/vegan or not. Sunday lunch will be hugely popular here, and they have plenty of large tables, ideal for groups. They serve the pub classics, and also mushroom wellington, rib-eye beef, lemon chicken and pork belly with prune and brandy stuffing. You can book online or ring, and I think weekend booking will be essential.

A lovely transformation, and I hope it can maintain its great first impression!

The Harpenden Arms

Published in The Herts Advertiser, Jan 2019

I thought I’d focus on a pub for my January column. I realise that many of you are doing ‘dry January’ so I’ve picked a pub that has a good reputation for food, The Harpenden Arms. And if you aren’t, then it’s very good for drinks too!

January is always a quiet time for pubs; many of us are trying to drink less or save money. With the recent issues with business rate hikes, this can be a tough month for pubs in our area. I like that The Harpenden Arms is trying to counter this with a special offer in Jan – if you go to their website and sign up you can get 20% off your food and drink bill. Even if you are drinking less this month, it can be good to get out and socialise, so why not treat yourself to lunch or dinner and try a new soft drink instead. When I popped in recently, the log fire was very welcoming on a grey afternoon, and we had a walk around the pretty common beforehand.

The Harpenden Arms is a large pub, and they have divided up the space well. On the left hand side is the more traditional bar area, with plenty of space for just going in for a drink or a coffee. There are comfy seating areas too, and we bagged the sofa near the fire. The interior is quirky, with funky hanging baskets and you can order bar food and lunch to eat in this area. The large room “The Orangery” to the right is used mainly for dining, and it gets very busy on weekends, especially for Sunday lunch. It has also hosted many big birthday and work celebrations; it is one of the largest and lightest dining rooms in Harpenden. As it needs to be in Harpenden, it is welcoming to children of all ages too. There are rooms upstairs that get hired out for book events, private dining and work drinks; it is a hard-working pub!

I had a veggie chilli with rice which came with guacamole and pea shoots on top. The chilli was perfectly nice and had a good flavour. The portion size was small compared to my partner’s parpadelle and ragu and the guacamole wasn’t super-fresh, although it tasted fine. Service was friendly and efficient. I like the sound of the build your own salad, where you choose your protein (halloumi, lemon chicken or salmon) and then add a salad such as smokey aubergine and rocket or baby gem and minted pea; I would want two or three of them though! You can also get a decent sandwich for under 8.00, such as fish finger or prawn and crayfish. If you prefer a classic such as fish and chips, you might like to know that they use Fuller’s own beer Frontier in the batter; probably worth getting a half to go with it.

I like that the pub is also aware of the eat less meat movement that is so popular at the moment; if you are trying veganuary they have introduced some new vegan dishes such as BBQ pulled jackfruit tacos with mango salsa. Jackfruit is a fruit that grows in many warm countries including India and Australia. It pulls apart when cooked which is why we are seeing it pop up as an alternative to pulled pork and similar dishes. The puy lentil and mushroom ‘meatballs’ sounds good too. I like that they are using smaller, independent companies such as Laverstock farm to supply their ingredients; the chocolate and coconut vegan ice cream sounds good.

The Harpenden Arms is a Fuller’s pub so their beer reflects that, with London Pride, Oliver’s Island and Cornish Orchards cider (which is also vegan by the way!).

If you are getting together with pals this January, you might like to know that you can get 2-for-1 cocktails between 6-9pm. They also sell a good range of gins, along with the new non-alcoholic Seedlip ‘gin’ which is well worth a try. January can be a long month to not go out, so why not treat yourself and visit one of our local pubs?

Clothes and coffee

Purple Coffee Shop

Published in The Herts Advertiser Feb 2019

The indie coffee shop craze hasn’t quite swept Harpenden in the same way it has in St Albans; Costa and Cafe Nero seem to have quite a stronghold. But I’d like to tell you about a new coffee shop that unless you are out shopping for men’s clothes, you might have missed.

Eight Ounces opened in November as part of Purple menswear, just up near Godfrey’s. Owned by Paul Monks, it is a stylish stop that sells designer menswear at the front (including a range by David Beckham) and has a Menspire barber shop at the back. The coffee shop is in the middle, and has seating for about 10 people, and more when the weather is good, as it has a great little secret garden area.

Paul won Young Entrepreneur of the Year in a local business awards last year, and has been featured in Drapers. His sense of style is evident in the coffee shop. It is a bright room, with funky green banquettes and a large vintage-style mirror which makes the most of the space.

They sell Campbell & Syme coffee, which is roasted and ground in King’s Langley. My partner’s flat white was perfect. It is the same coffee that Hatch in St Albans sell, and Fred and Ginger in Berkhamstead. Paul told me that they serve glasses of tap water with coffee too, in the Italian style. I chose a Moroccan mint tea, which was by Brew Co Tea – it had a good flavour but needed to be served in a small teapot which is usual for that brand; then you can get two cups out of it. The coffee and tea prices are good, with most at the 2.00-2.70 mark, which is similar to the chain coffee shops. I like the smart coffee cup branding.

There is a small range of pressed juices too and I was intrigued by the charcoal lemonade, which contains lemon, lavender and activated charcoal.

Due to the proximity of the clothes shop and barber shop, Paul has decided not to sell hot food, and I think that makes perfect sense for this small shop. Instead, they sell a small range of filled bagels, yoghurt pots and cake slices. I like that the bagels are made fresh each day by Silver Palate, just a few streets away. Paul calls them each day to order for the next day. When I went in they had tuna melt bagels, turkey and cheese and ham. I was surprised not to see a veggie/vegan option and Paul explained that they usually have a hummus, aubergine, red pepper and spinach bagel, but had sold out. They offered to toast the bagels, and ours was nicely served on chequered paper in a paper box.

The cakes were mostly chocolate-based, which isn’t a problem for me. You could choose millionaire shortbread, fridge cake, cornflake cake or Italian filled twists. Something gluten-free or lemony would be a good option.

There is a small selection of branded tote bags and sweatshirts with the Eight Ounce logo on, I guess for any teen customers popping in, and a few reusable coffee cups for sale too. I was pleased to see that they are supplying paper straws and napkins made from recycled paper. The bathroom needs a good clean – hey, this is Harpenden, and people are going to notice.

A useful addition to Harpenden High Street, that supports local suppliers. This is the way to keep shoppers visiting small, indie retail spaces as we shop more and more online; making it a lifestyle space to visit often, whether you want to buy a gift, get a whole new spring wardrobe, or just pop in for coffee. A clever idea.