New Year, New You?

Published in WH Times, Jan 2019

There is a lot of information about eating at this time of year: veganuary, weight loss plans, juicing, 5-2 diets, marathon training plans… but what many of us need is just some sensible support and advice that is tailored to us. We are all different, after all, with different needs.

I have been following Deirdre Swede on instagram; she is based in Welwyn and I like her sensible, real-life approach to eating well. I got in touch with Deirdre to ask if she had any advice for our readers this January.

Deirdre has been a Registered Nutritional Therapist for a year, and offers relaxed, one-to-one support as well as group workshops. She is very easy to talk to and her focus is on helping you to feel great, more energised, and to make small, positive changes if you need to. Deirdre told me that we tend to focus on what we need to cut out, but her approach is to make sure we eat enough of what our bodies actually need. “So many of us beat ourselves up about what we eat; I think we should focus on what we do well”, she explained.

In January, Deirdre suggests eating plenty of warming and nourishing porridge, soups and stews. She mentioned that eating salads and raw foods can be a bit tough at this time of year. One tip is to treat yourself to a veg box delivery scheme; it is a great way to make sure you eat seasonal, fresh vegetables, including some you might not always buy, and will help you to “eat the rainbow”.

Deirdre also offers group workshops: her most recent was on hormone health and was ideal for peri- or menopausal women (basically most of us in our 40s and 50s!). At the workshop Deirdre spoke about how sleep and stress can have an impact on your health, and cooked beetroot dip, dahl, roast vegetables and soup to show how easy it is to get more vegetables and pulses into your day. The next workshop is planned for 11 February (19.15-21.30). You can contact Deirdre via nutrition@deirdreswede.co.uk and her facebook page has lots of ideas for eating well.

The Cowper Arms, Cole Green

Published in WH Times, December 2018

Winter is the perfect time to head to a cosy pub and sit by a real log fire, and if that is after a country walk, all the better. The Cowper Arms in pretty Cole Green is right next to the Cole Green Way, surrounded by trees and is the perfect escape from working life. I visited last week to see the new refurbishment, and it has been transformed, with a smart new interior that makes the most of the lovely old building and surrounds.

If you just want to pop in for a drink, there are three cosy areas at the front of the pub, with two real fires. They have expanded their gin, cocktail and fizz list; I chose a Sevilla bitter orange gin which went well with a sprig of fresh rosemary.

The dinner menu has lots of choice, including plenty of pub favourites. We loved the roasted lentil falafel from the meze plate; a light texture with whole chickpeas in it. My king prawn roll with dipping sauce was beautifully prepped with crisp, fresh julienne vegetables. I chose lobster and crab fishcakes with smashed peas and it was a generous plateful for 13.50. The fishcakes were good but I didn’t think the asparagus was needed and is out of season in December.

My pal thought the roasted pork belly with seared scallops was great; it was served with dauphinoise potatoes, green beans and toasted almonds so you don’t need to order side dishes. I thought the menu was a little light on interesting vegetarian and vegan options, but if you like fish, steaks and pizzas there is plenty of choice for you. We chatted to manager Russell, who like many of the team, have worked at The Cowper Arms for years, and I am sure the chefs can adapt the menu if you need them too.

Everyone seemed excited and proud of the new pub and were looking forward to seeing all the regulars back again. I will definitely be back, and am looking forward to the lovely garden in summer!

St Albans’ best restaurant?

The Abbey, George St, St Albans

Published in The Herts Advertiser, November 2018

The cathedral quarter in St Albans goes from strength to strength and has attracted some very good restaurants, bars and food shops recently. It always looks lovely at this time of the year, and I am sure many of you will be heading there for Christmas drinks and food.

I have been meaning to write about The Abbey for a while, as it opened earlier this year with a very smart launch, but I wanted to go when the fuss had died down, to see what it is really like. Executive Chef Cat Ashton has an excellent background; she was head chef at Petersham Nurseries and at Paradise by Way at Kensal Green. Petersham Nurseries held a Michelin star and is known for its creative seasonal cooking, and Kat has brought that experience with her to St Albans. It’s also interesting to note that Kat is the only female head chef in Hertfordshire at the moment; I hope this is the start of a trend!

Set in an old, narrow building on George Street, The Abbey has a smart bar area as you go in, though space is limited so it is probably best for a quick pre-dinner drink. The area at the back of the ground floor is lovely, with a quirky floral wall that brings a lot of character to the enclosed space. Upstairs there are two rooms, one of which is ideal for private dining, which is becoming ever more popular in St Albans. The Living Room at the front of the building has a large fireplace and views over George Street and the smaller Abbey View holds one long table that sits up to 10 people and would be lovely for a group of pals.

We were seated downstairs and I didn’t love the spot; it felt like we were in a busy corridor – I realise this is tricky to avoid in a narrow building, but they might need to rethink the room layout so every customer gets a good experience. It is busy, so you do need to book.

The menu is short and seasonal, with four starters, four main courses and four puds. I chose Grilled sea bream with curry butter, corn and coconut purée, curly kale and mushrooms; it was a clever combination of seasonal elements with a nod to Kat’s Australian background. It was beautifully presented, well-balanced and delicious. My husband chose Brown-sugar glazed short ribs with celeriac purée, fennel remoulade and pomegranate, and we ordered some autumn greens which went well with both, I also liked the sound of the roast pumpkin and halloumi wrapped in filo with pistachio mayo, which is more interesting than the usual veggie options. Mains range from about 15 to 22 pounds, which is pretty standard for this level of cooking.

I loved my medjool date and Kahlua crème brûlée with fresh figs and walnut cookie for pud; the date compote was a fab combination with the brûlée. I tried some of the dark chocolate torte with pear and rosemary honeycomb, and that was excellent too. Service of 12.5% is added; I prefer to add my own, but this does seem to be the norm now in many restaurants. The food arrived promptly, which shows that the kitchen is well-organised but otherwise I thought the service seemed a bit chaotic which added to the feeling of sitting in a corridor.

I have heard good things about the bottomless brunch they serve at weekends. Main courses sound wonderful, for example: Cream cheese stuffed french toast with crispy bacon, blueberries and maple syrup and Scrambled eggs on sourdough with chorizo, rocket salad and roast pumpkin. You can get Autumn cherry Bellinis to go with it.

The Abbey has already gained a good reputation locally for great cooking and I think has the potential to be St Albans’ best restaurant; it just needs to work out how to make the best of its historic building.