Sunday, 27 May 2012

a chippy with charm

Kerbisher & Malt is a self proclaimed modern British fish and chip shop with a love of fresh, hand prepared food and a hatred of dirty oil, soggy chips and neon lights.

If you fancy a taste of the seaside, a pebbles throw from Hammersmith tube station, then this is the plaice (sorry, couldn't resist)

K&M is slicker than your average chippy with laid back minimal interiors, table service for those wishing to eat in, and booze! yay!



a gallery of monochrome prints adorns the wall as well as a frame containing live cctv footage of the kitchen so you can watch on Big Brother style as your fish is fried


The chips were good although I wouldn't quite go as far as to say I would 'write them a love poem' as Zoe Williams of The Sunday Telegraph reported and being a Northerner, my excitement at seeing 'chip butty' on the menu turned to disappointment when I was presented with 2 slices! of white bread with chips spilling out all over - sliced bread in my opinion does not a chip butty make :(

A giant floury bap would have been much more appropriate 
(and far easier to handle as inevitably my chips fell straight out of the floppy sliced bread)

On the plus side the grilled cod was cooked to perfection, the fish nuggets a hit and the sweet chilli dipping oil exceptional!

164 Shepherds Bush Road, London W6 7PB
+44 20 3556 0228

TUES - FRI 12.00-14.30 & 16.30-22.00
SAT 12.00-22.00
SUN 12.00-21.00
MON CLOSED



Tuesday, 22 May 2012

Travel Notes - Tarragona & Cadaques

On Thursday evening we boarded a plane to visit my brother on the second leg of his erasmus year studying languages abroad.

He is currently living in Tarragona, a city located in the South of Catalonia on the North East Spanish coast.

We landed in Barcelona and 2 train rides later arrived at his apartment.


We had already pre planned, at the request of Mr R, who's birthday was another reason for taking this mini break, that we would like to spend our first full day doing a road trip to the tiny fishing village of Cadaques, a 520km round drive from Tarragona.

Mr R is heavily into his music and the drive to Cadaques features in Liam Gallagher's band Beady Eye's video for track 'Millionaire', see it here



As we were nearing our destination we reached the mountains and began our ascent up the winding road which spiralled around the edge 
(teetering very close to a drop to the valley below- drive with care!)

We began to recognise scenery from the video and caught our first glimpse of Cadaques bay, bathed in sunshine.

On we drove, higher and higher, until clouds settled alongside us in swirls of haunting mist and our ears began to pop, it was eery but beautiful.


Once down the other side we parked the car and headed off to explore. typically at this point the sun disappeared and grey skies ensued but the sights still looked pretty.




We took solace from a shower of raindrops at a waterfront cafe and enjoyed paella and people watching.



After lunch we had a wander around the boutiques which line the bay.

This little man, Senor Lucas caught our attention straight away.

A 6 month old French bulldog, he belonged to one of the shop keepers and was very efficient at pulling in the crowds with his cuteness.

We spotted 9 Frenchies on this trip which is even more than we saw when we visited my brother in France - their native homeland!!


A few things that caught my eye around the streets of Cadaques. . .







Whilst we were in the area we decided to hop back into the car and take a trip to Port Lligat, a small village a few minutes drive away.

It was here that the famous surrealist painter Salvador Dali once lived, and his whitewashed house still stands on the bay, now open to the public as a museum.

This is the main entrance to the house, I loved the weathered paint.

The museum was closed but I took a few snaps around the grounds 





Back in Tarragona we spent our time eating and drinking our way around some of my brothers favourite haunts as well as absorbing the local buzz in the market and town squares adorned with brightly coloured murals





And walked the cobbled streets of the old town, lined with orange trees and pretty balconies



Tarragona is not a place I would have probably stumbled upon had it not been for my brother studying there but it was nice to sample Spanish life in a small, everyday kind of town.

Wednesday, 2 May 2012

Kinfolk magazine

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I love to eat!

whether it be a dinner date with my man in some new opening across town, a lazy Sunday roast in a cosy pub with the family or a long brunch catching up with friends, it is safe to say that I am at my happiest when combining the art of eating with socialising.


And so it would seem, I am not alone.

Kinfolk is an entire publication dedicated to exactly that!- 
celebrating the beauty of small gatherings with loved ones and the pleasure found in sitting together around a table sharing a meal, anchoring relationships and creating memories in these moments.

It got me thinking about some of my favourite and most memorable dining experiences and how the surroundings and company were just as important, if not more so than the food itself.

watch the Kinfolk manifesto video here

We are not just talking lavish dinner parties or wedding breakfasts here, Kinfolk is all about simplicity and the suggestion that 

''we all might benefit from incorporating more of the things we love into our daily routines instead of saving them for the weekend or our next vacation''

This really struck a cord with me.

Beautiful imagery provides styling and recipe inspiration as well as thought provoking features written by a vast range of contributers.

I got my copy from Anthropologie but the full list of stockists are available here