Tis the season to burn stuff - or maybe not

Barbecuing has, until recently in my opinion, been underrated. Not the 'event' itself or the unique social situation but the fact that some fantastic and unique flavours can be derived from firing up the charcoal, marinating some meat (or peppers etc) and basically having some fun. However, Grillstock - held this year in Bristol and Manchester - and the countless competitions and events held in the US, show just how popular it is and why it can now rightly be viewed as a credible method of cooking. Lack of understanding is a UK thing. In the US in particular it is a religion, dry rub versus sauce, regions boasting their own particular varieties.

Neil Davey

I have been invited to join a team at Grillstock 2014. Team Captain is Neil Davey, journalist and one of the UK's leading BBQ experts. I recently chatted to him for The Sentinel when he outlined some basic tips and dispelled some long believed myths surrounding this traditional summer activity. Neil has travelled the world developing recipes of his own, sourcing ingredients and inspiration to share with professionals, amateur chefs and Sunday afternoon sizzlers, especially those on this side of the pond.

Talk of standard essentials can be found in the aforementioned article but Neil has many other tricks and tips that guarantee you will produce one of the finest meals you will ever cook outdoors.

"Temperature and the need to have uniformly grey/white coals with no smoke and getting everything right before you start cooking can be helped by one thing - a chimney starter. The shape holds the charcoal / briquettes in place and allows them to heat uniformly and quickly – about 20 minutes – and all you need to light one is a sheet or two of newspaper. The chimney starter also means it’s easy to pour the lit charcoal exactly where you want them in the barbecue itself, separating an area purely for keeping things warm and preventing overcooking. If you’re puzzling about the lack of smoke, that should come from wood chips –soaked in water, added to the charcoal – rather than the charcoal itself.

When you are ready to go, don't cook things straight from the fridge. Let them warm through a little – say, 20 mins as a minimum – before putting them on the grill. This helps things cook more evenly, and helps prevent that “classic” combination of burned outside and uncooked inner.

With some preparation and a little forethought the main thing I would then recommend is  - Be Creative!


Every culture cooks or has cooked over open flame / charcoal at some point in their history. While US barbecue gives classic flavours of smoke and spice, if you cook everything with the same rub / marinades, it’s going to get very boring, very quickly.

Look to Asia for influence – a small amount of yoghurt (go easy: too much and it will burn), chopped green chillies and turmeric will transform chicken or cuts like lamb neck. Take inspiration from your average kebab house. In Singapore recently I was given a sauce with fish that blew me away: it turned out to be freshly ground black pepper, a tiny sprinkle of sea salt, a handful of diced chillies and lots of fresh lime juice. It couldn’t be simpler but it will rock your world.

My current other go to ingredients for marinades and sauces are Korean pastes. Gochujang is a fantastic, dark red chilli paste with great depth and a heat that builds rather than taking the roof of your mouth off, doenjang is fermented soy paste that smells of all sorts of things (dark chocolate, freshly baked bread, beer) and gives everything that lip-smacking, deeply savoury “umami” hit. You can buy huge tubs of both for under a tenner from specialist Asian stores. You really won’t regret it."

Neil recommends his basic barbecue sauce, perfect with anything pulled from the ground (well apart from the bacon bit) or 'meaty'.

250mls apple juice 
3 tbsp dark brown sugar – ideally molasses sugar but Muscavado also works
1 tbsp each of black pepper, soy sauce, cider vinegar, tomato ketchup
Tabasco and salt (to taste)

Throw it all in a saucepan, stir, simmer until it reduces. That’s it.

"You can use this as a marinade, a pouring sauce, mix it with pulled pork, paste it on ribs for the last few minutes of grilling…  The fun though comes in how you flavour it to your own preferences. Drop a chilli (or more) into the liquid to infuse with heat. Switch out apple juice for something like peach juice (particularly good as a base for really spicy sauces) or mix with cider for a really sticky sauce. Substitute Worcestershire Sauce for the soy or use both. Increase the amount of ketchup. Add a splash of bourbon at the end to give it a smoky caramel edge. Add paprika or cayenne pepper or cumin or coriander or chilli powder to taste – or any combination of the above. Add minced garlic. Add sautéed peppers and / or onions and blend down. Add lemon juice. Throw in a shot of espresso. Add bacon for… well, because you can and because bacon rocks."

Follow Neil on Twitter @DineHard and check out his blog - The Lambshank Redemption

Batter-cake Batter-cake, Baker's Man

The lack of an established farmers' market in Stoke-on-Trent has long been a mystery to me. As I discuss in a recent article, I believe a market such as the monthly one in Stone, should be held in varying locations across the City to draw people in to our 6 Towns and keep them there.

This drive and desire to take locally produced food and drink around the area is mainly derived from my regular visits to Stone. The market there plays host to an amazing array of products and draws a huge amount of people from all across the county.

As is always the case, every stall had numerous punters gathered to sample their wares but one in particular grabbed my attention on my last visit.
Battercakes was founded in 2011 by husband and wife team Bob and Gill. Inspired by a passion to experiment with different forms of cooking and different foods, Gill made the move from selling Eco friendly products at the farmers' market to selling pancakes. However these were not your typical pancake. Gill explained' "I think I received some sort of catalogue which had this very peculiar pan for sale. I was intrigued and after trawling the net I discovered that this pan was of  Danish origin for a product called Aebelskiver – apple pancake."

Gill immediately recognised the potential for a varied and much more interesting range of fillings and following a great deal of research, ‘playing’ with the pan and tweaking recipes, Battercakes was born.

Gill at Stone Farmers' Market

Gill continued, "Our product is unique in the world of spherical pancakes in that the pancake is hollow and the steam chamber we create is perfect for melting the sweet or savoury fresh fillings we insist on." Battercakes (the name is based on the nursery rhyme - pat a cake pat a cake - baker's man) are totally gluten free as Bob and Gill didn't want to exclude some of their friends from their discovery and the gluten free also proved the most popular at a blind tasting.

"There is a huge void in street food for people who cannot tolerate wheat or gluten based products. Burgers, hotdogs, sausage rolls, wraps are all out of some people's diet, I wanted to provide something to fill that void", Gill added.

Many things combine to make these wonderous golden globes including the correct batter and the working temperature of the cast iron pan but the batter remains a secret recipe!

I stood absorbed as I watched Bob carry out the delicate cooking process. My description could never be as accurate as a previous customer however. "Once we had a little boy who spent a long time watching Bob cook the Battercakes while he was waiting for his Mum to arrive. Once she did he explained with such glee that she should watch the Battercakes cook 'as the man twists them 90 degrees and then 71 degrees and then finishes with a 30 degree twist!' Maybe he does – but we weren’t aware of the technicalities!!!!"

Bob and Gill have day jobs but as their popularity grows, they hope to take Battercakes to more markets and festivals and then move forward from there.

And their particular favourites? "The black cherry and dark chocolate, though strawberry and white chocolate comes close, and then maybe stem ginger and dark chocolate etc etc".

Battercakes are superb. I popped back to the stall several times, one to watch Bob and Gill at work but also to try the numerous flavour combinations available and I will definitely be going back for more.

Follow Battercakes on Twitter @BattercakeMan and like on Facebook: facebook.com/battercakes

Beer, Bees and Brad

There is always an undoubted passion in local food and drink producers. Many I have met across Staffordshire and further afield will quite rightly and justifiably wax lyrical about their product, the years of blood, sweat and tears they have dedicated to their art. Some, not all, fiercely guard their secret ingredient or process that makes their particular delicacy unique. Then you meet someone like Brad.

Ian Bradford (Brad) has an undeniable presence and an air of approachability that sometimes isn't apparent in an independent business man. As the brains and the brawn behind Lymestone Brewery he has raised the bar (no pun intended) in local brewing and challenged the national big boys in the business by creating a brand and a range of beers of which the area can be proud.

Having previously met Brad a couple of times including at Stone Food and Drink Festival, I floated an idea by him regarding a charity challenge I was undertaking. I wanted to make 40 bottles of beer (it was for charity honestly!) and Brad was more than willing to be involved. I was therefore fortunate enough to spend several days at Lymestone in Stone and witnessed the brewing process first hand. This particular blog isn't focused on that process but more about the personality that lies behind it.

On chatting to Mrs Lymestone - Viv - one thing became immediately apparent. There are no secrets with Brad. He will happily tell you at great length how he produces what have now become renowned as an exemplary range of beers with a distinct taste always accompanied by unique and often humourous pump clips. The Sharon Stone clip in particular attracted considerable and mostly favourable attention.

With a determined nod in the direction of the past and a welcome view to the future, Lymestone continues a long history of brewing in the Stone area which has an ale allegiance that can be traced back 1000 years. Brad's relationship with the industry dates back to the early 90s including 18 years with Titanic and the enthusiasm for every ingredient remains and is profound. Regular appearances at Stone Farmers Market (where Viv also sells exquisite soaps) are not purely a means to broaden the fan base of Lymestone beers. There is an affiliation and a support of other local producers and a genuine interest in what others are doing. And then there are the bees. Hives situated on the roof of the brewery provide an escape from the alchemy and fermentation but also form a key ingredient in some of Brad's beers.

If it isn't already evident, I am a huge fan of Lymestone Brewery on every level. Brad and Viv have created a distinct flavour, a pint that you will instantly recognise as being one born of the Stone brewhouse. All done with a belief and passion that drives their every working day. The business continues to grow. Their first pub opened in Newcastle-under-Lyme last year and is an oasis of real ale in a town centre previously bereft of such a watering hole. There is also an on going calendar of events that takes place at the brewery itself including cook-offs, bands and tours. I believe that Lymestone personifies everything that we should cherish in local food and drink culture.

I promise no puns...

As the horse meat (isn't it - is it?) scandal starts to peter out a little, focus can return to what we already knew. Your butcher knows best. Numerous campaigns across social media networks have been in full flow for many years as Tesco and other such monolith corporations have gained momentum and the high street has continued to suffer. 'Local produce is too expensive' and other such diatribes have incurred much gnashing of teeth and perpetual frustration.

Personally, I don't have as big a problem as many do with supermarket chains. They serve a purpose and wouldn't be successful if they weren't doing something right. I frequent various ones regularly as there are often ingredients required for a recipe that I just can't get round the corner and are often reasonably priced. It is the automatic dismissal by so many of the high street for unfounded reasons that irks.

My local butcher in Harsthill is brilliant. Fact. Having lived in the area for several years now, I shuffle in bleary eyed most Saturday mornings to collect my bounty of ox cheeks, pigs cheeks, lamb and mint burgers, oatcakes, fresh veg, duck eggs...repeat to fade. As the recent 'What is in my burger?' debate has raged on, one thing has remained constant. Richard Holloway has continued to supply my ever employed kitchen with the highest quality produce without battering my wallet.

Richard, a butcher of some 26 years now (since he was 15 - you do the maths) sources all his product from local reputable suppliers within a 50 mile radius of the shop - most from Green Farm at Caverswall - as well as making burgers and sausages on the premises. He keeps up with product knowledge, listens to what his customer wants and checks prices at the butchery department at supermarkets. He believes 90% of the time he is cheaper than any mainstream seller and if he isn't, he is offering a superior product. Many of the bargains available in the big chains may at first appear to be a great offer. Yet when you check weights and other factors they aren't - far from it.

The furore around content has had a positive affect on sales and he has new customers making the trip to Hartshill based on recommendations from his loyal customers. And importantly, he can guarantee where what he is selling came from and what animal it contains.

Having read the news stories, watched the debates unfold and now seeing people at the check out buy what they always did, nothing has changed. The outcry may have subsided and the norm is restored. But if you haven't been to your local butcher for a while...err...why?

Making everything in life better

Experiencing a food phenomenon may not be a regular occurrence, however my latest visit to the big smoke brought about such an event. On a graze around Soho, my good friend Neil introduced me to the delight that is Tonkotsu Bar and Ramen, an unassuming venue with stock pots bubbling away on view and serving undoubtedly the best chicken I have ever had. Fact. Accompanying the several exquisite dishes sampled was the Tsuru chilli oil which acts as a marinade, dip or a sauce and the menu encourages you to 'eat the bits'. In the words of my dining companion, it 'just makes everything in life better'.

The need to purchase a jar was undeniable so now what to do with it? I'm thinking the marinade option, a simple sea bass served on a bed of roasted veg. I am however, open to be persuaded otherwise.

The clue isn't in the name

Stoke-on-Trent and the surrounding area are currently blessed with excellent breweries and a host of reputable pubs. In the 2 years that Paul and Sarah Cope have been resident at the ‘Holy Inadequate’, they’ve taken a watering hole of little repute and turned it into one of THE venues in North Staffordshire, so much so they were recognised as the owners of Stoke-on-Trent Pub of the Year by CAMRA in 2012.

No dogs playing snooker

Ardent and fair weather drinkers will often argue the merits of a decent boozer, debating what exactly makes somewhere worth visiting, a place of which you inform every man (and his dog), hence returning again and again. Such a crucial piece in the ever-puzzling jigsaw of ‘the local’ is often missing. One night drinking real ale and enjoying a half decent plate of snapping isn’t enough in such days of austerity to ensure the return of anyone. There has to be an added element. This is where ‘The Holy’ steps into a class of its own. You have to go back, any thwarting seems unthinkable once you’ve experienced the pub, the ale, the staff, the real ale, the pork pies, the range of beers, the locally sourced crisps…did I mention the beer?

I proudly declare myself a regular now and on a recent visit, the ever alluring bar was adorned with the always excellent locally produced Lymestone ‘Einstein’, Newby Wyke’s ‘England Expects’ (a stirring support to the efforts of our Rugby Team in the 6 Nations), Dark Star Sussex Extra Stout, all headliners admirably understudied by the ever present Joules Pale Ale. Upon arrival, your eye is automatically drawn to the board of beers, the anticipation of what delights await you that day. An extensive range of bottled beers from Blue Monkey amongst others, offer an alternative as does a hand pulled perry, scrumpy and ciders destined to make ‘The Holy’ memorable…or not, depending on the quantity consumed. And it is wonderful to see the local Freedom brewery represented on the bar too.

So what is the secret of the success? That’s the beauty. There is no great secret. The beers are kept immaculately, the knowledge of each brewery and its product are perfectly ‘sold’ by the staff to all that ask. The desire to grow and develop, to build on the success of all the beer festivals hosted, is paramount in the future of a pub whose reputation continues to grow.

Building development is imminent; oatcakes made on the premises are also in the planning. Bowls of Staffordshire lobby have made an appearance already, the continued sale of the local delicacy is undoubted and there are plans for 17 real ales on the bar as well as more live music and a food fayre. When chatting to all involved in the ‘Holy’, you can’t help but feel their excitement, enthusiasm and belief in where the pub is heading.

Two more things of note - the fascinating artwork, courtesy of a friend of landlord Paul that dresses the rooms is something that has to be seen. And finally the name? What is it’s origin? Why not pop in and ask yourself?

A Twitter friend of mine recently put out a plea asking for recommendations, basically somewhere in Stoke-on-Trent (specifically Hanley) to eat after 2pm that wasn’t overly priced and not a pub. Following regular visits - work related honestly - I can confidently proclaim that one place fits those criteria perfectly and never fails to deliver.

Fat Cat Cafe Bar (or Fat Cats as it tends to get called) is housed in the beautiful old BT exchange building and used to be a pit stop on the way to Valentinos nightclub, the casino or maybe the bingo. Now it stands alone as a venue in it’s own right. Bands, live sport, vintage fayres, a bar capable of entertaining the masses yet retaining an air of maturity and class that is often sadly lacking in other venues across the City.


And this is before food even enters the equation. The Fish Finger Bloomer is arguably the best value and satiating lunch I have come across in the Potteries for quite some time. It’s popularity is evident as I am assured it will remain a permanent fixture even though lunch menus change monthly. On my last visit, said bloomer was the order of the day for one colleague and I, another had the impressive looking and I’m told, 'beautiful' Grilled Rump Steak Ciabatta and another had the Stilton and Courgette soup of the day. The former delights will set you back £6.45 which includes a draught soft drink, tea or coffee, the soup £4.95. Excellent value for money for the quality served. Fat Cats also hides a perfect meeting room (told you it was work related), free to those willing to buy intermittent teas and coffees and take a lunch break in the bar if ‘hired’ for the day.

Fat Cats is the closest thing that Hanley has to a city bar, a bar that London, Manchester or Birmingham would be proud. The atmosphere is welcoming and respectful, suitably relaxed during the day and early evening to enable fine dining yet vibrant enough later to make it the only port of call should you be seeking a night of entertainment rather than merely a meeting place or stop off. It may be one of a chain but hey – who cares! This in itself is not always necessarily a bad thing.

Said Twitter friend waxed lyrical of her enjoyment following my recommendation and visit, as would be expected of the literally talented Mel Sherratt, a Stoke-on-Trent author whose reputation continues to grow as an outstanding writer. Mel is set to feature Fat Cats in her next book and her experience is reflected in the comments of others who are proud to have a stylish yet not over priced bar that is as impressive as it gets and yes – it’s in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent.