I’ve just got off the plane following our family trip to Benidorm to find summer is well on its way at last. My scooter is out of its winter hibernation and everything is moving pretty fast as we get into full swing with the warmer weather.
Our holiday was fantastic, giving us lots of time with Thomas and the chance to take in Benidorm Old Town, which is fantastic for food. We ate out a lot and the sunshine inspired me to get started on my new menu for the restaurant – complete with smoked anchovies.
Spring is the easiest time to write menus for the restaurant because there’s so much good stuff in season. We’re working with the year’s first Isle of Wight tomatoes, which are absolutely superb. We’ve also got some beautiful asparagus, which goes really well with the guinea fowl on the menu.
It’s been really interesting to go back though some of my old menus in the last few weeks as I prepare to put together my first book. I’ve always been fascinated by menu planning and I’ve been coming up with ideas since I started my training, so I’ve got menus going all the way back to when I was 18. It’s going to be a lot of fun using them to put together my first book of recipes.
We’ve also got some talented new chefs in the kitchen and they’re really getting in the flow. At home, we’ve got the kitchen finished and Thomas’ birthday is just around the corner. It’ll not be long til we’re off to our summer gigs – The Rolling Stones and Arctic Monkeys. Can’t wait! See you soon.
