It’s a hard life folks, all this eating and drinking on your behalf, and this month has been busier than ever.
The highlight of a month packed with foodie treats came courtesy of the lovely ladies of Carruthers & Kent wine store and deli in Gosforth, who hosted a cinematic food and wine pairing at the Toffee Factory in the Ouseburn Valley, which just happens to be the building where I work, so that was nice of them.
The film in question was the wine-drenched masterpiece Sideways, and it was accompanied by an excellent four-flight wine tasting at various points during the film and a fab picnic of bread, cheese, meat and chutneys, salads and snacks.
The deckchairs borrowed from the nice folks at NE1 Ltd fitted the tone of the evening perfectly, and C&K’s Mo O’Toole did a grand job of introducing the wines, all of them a great match for the film and a reflection of the work done by Mo and her partner Claire Carruthers to bring fantastic wines from small independent producers to the Toon.
This was the first of a series of film and food-themed events at Toffee Factory. Watch this space for a screening of Jaws with food from Riley’s Fish Shack. Cue soundtrack…
Carruthers & Kent, Elmfield Rd Newcastle, NE3 4AY, tel 0191 213 1818, www.carruthersandkent.com
Also within walking distance of my desk, Anna Hedworth, appetite columnist, food blogger and cook of this parish, has opened her new Cook House in a former shipping container in the Ouseburn Valley where she hosts her fab supperclubs.
I’ve been in most days since she opened, breakfasting on granola, blackberries and yoghurt, and lunching on gems such as pheasant terrine with hawthorn berry chutney followed by apple and cinnamon cake.
Anna’s also started a cook school and the first session from butcher Charlotte Harbottle was a revelation in the choosing and preparation of the best cuts of meat. Nice work, lasses!
Cook House, Ouse Street Newcastle, NE1 2PF, www.cookhouse.org
It’s great to see the lovely folks at RE in Corbridge have refurbished the old petrol pump attendant’s kiosk from the garage next to the store to create a wee Saturday shop on wheels hosting pop-ups from producers who have so far included TEASHED, Vallum Bakery and Patisserie, and the fab jams and preserves of Jamsmith. It’s a great little addition to weekends in the Tyne Valley, and a fab way of showcasing great producers.
RE, Bishops Yard, Main Street Corbridge NE45 5LA, tel 01434 634 567, www.re-foundobjects.com
