Jazz up the '80s with the Jay Rayner Sextet

Restaurant critic Jay Rayner – undoubtedly the best jazz pianist in Britain of all the judges on MasterChef – leads an ensemble of top flight musicians through a vivid night of the very best of song-writing and jazz.

Expect blistering performances of iconic tunes from jazz greats like Herbie Hancock, Horace Silver and Dexter Gordon, through to song-writing legends including Tom Waits and Joan Armatrading.

Get your '80s on with the Jay Rayner Sextet: a show full of great music, killer stories and often quite inappropriate laughter.

With the bassist Robert Rickenberg, saxophonist Dave Lewis, singer Pat Gordon-Smith, Guitarist Chris Cobbson and drummer Sophie Alloway.

Thursday 12 October | 7.30pm | Komedi Bath, 22-23 Westgate Street, Bath BA1 1EP

Read our interview with Jay Rayner in the October issue or online at thebathmagazine.co.uk and visit komedia.co.uk to book tickets

OUR OCTOBER ISSUE IS OUT!

You'll love our fabulous October magazine which features a collection of great reading by our team of wonderful writers as well as beautifully presented advertising by Bath's best businesses. Features include an interview with Ken Loach about his new film The Old Oak, a conversation with Jay Rayner about his jazz sextet who are visiting Bath, and Mary Beard gives us her fresh take on the Roman Emperors as her new book is published. We really hope you'll enjoy the read! 

Every month we deliver 15,000 copies door to door, but if you don't get a copy at home then you can pick up a copy at many places around town and from our floor stands at: Waitrose, Sainsbury [Green Park], M&S Foods in Twerton, Tesco in Weston Village, and at The Holburne Museum. 

Click here to enjoy our current issue!

And if you would like to have a copy sent in the post every month, then we offer a postal subscription for just £33 for 12 issues, £18 for six issues or buy a copy for just £4.25. UK mainland prices. For Euro and World zone subscription prices – see our website. 

Want to share this newsletter with a friend? Forward it on!

Recipe by Melissa Blease

Croque Monsieur

When is a toasted sandwich not just a toasted sandwich? When it's a Croque Monsieur: toasty, crunchy and oozing with Béchamel Sauce, France's enduringly popular hot cheese and ham buttie (popularised by legendary Michel Lunarca in the early 1900s) is the ultimate treatsome snack.

Serve it with a simple green salad and a glass of good wine, and it turns it into a sophisticated, speedy, extravagantly indulgent supper. Plonk a fried egg on top, and you've got yourself a Croque Madame. Replace the ham with smoked salmon et voila! A Croque Norvégien. But pay heed: any recipe relying on just three main ingredients for success means that you can't cut corners; a toasted sarnie made with slices of white sandwich loaf, plastic cheese squares and thin, limp ham will most definitely not pass muster as a Croque Monsieur.

Ingredients (serves 2)

4 slices from a crusty white loaf (ideally a Pain de Campagne, a Boule de Pain, or white sourdough)
100g Gruyère (plus a little extra for sprinkling), grated
4 slices of really good French ham, smoked or unsmoked
20g melted butter

For the Béchamel Sauce:

20g butter
20g plain flour
125ml semi-skimmed milk, warmed
125ml single cream
1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
Fresh nutmeg, grated

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 7. Meanwhile, make the Béchamel Sauce: melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan, add the flour and cook (stirring continuously) over a gentle heat until it smells biscuity. Gradually whisk in the warm milk followed by the cream and bring to a gentle boil, whisking as you go, until you've created a smooth, thick creamy sauce. Remove from the heat, add 1 tsp Dijon mustard and a smattering of freshly-grated nutmeg and set to one side.

Brush one side of all 4 slices of bread with the melted butter. Place them buttered-side up on a baking tray and toast under a hot grill until golden. Remove from the grill, turn the slices over on the tray and spread the untoasted sides of two slices with a thin layer of Dijon followed by a layer of the Béchamel (keeping some of the sauce back for topping), the ham and half of the grated Gruyère. Top with the remaining two slices of bread (untoasted sides facing down). Spread the remaining Béchamel over the top of each sandwich and sprinkle with more Gruyère.

Put the Croques into the oven and bake for around 10 mins or until the Béchamel is oozy and the Gruyère topping is a rich, golden-brown. Serve with extra Dijon and mayonnaise to hand and a simple, well-dressed green salad on the side.

Opening offer: £10 off first visit to Flute!

Flute Seafood Café & Bar is preparing to open on George Street, and this week The Bath Magazine was invited to a secret tasting of the brand-new menu…

Flute Seafood Café & Bar is the new kid in town, and it’s sure to take the city by storm. Whether you’re looking for a fresh and exciting breakfast, intriguing and unique sharing plates, or a late-night cocktail adventure, Flute has you covered. And this week we were invited us to an exclusive tasting of their new menu!

Head Chef Alex first brought us ribbons of smoked salmon on a semolina waffle, a modern twist on classic breakfast. We were also treated to fresh, melting smoked mackerel, complemented by a heap of apple ’slaw and accompanied by a bright, spritzy mango cocktail, epitomising the combination of fun and fine dining that Flute prides itself on. We loved the playful elegance of the 'Pint of Prawns' – served in an actual pint glass, with the soft, succulent prawns piling over the rim – served with a Bloody Mary mayonnaise and fresh bread. Other dishes included a moreish plate of Kedgeree Arancini and a delightful (not-too-sweet) apple tart topped with a creamy ball of vanilla ice cream.

Flute is a café-bar that serves its fishy theme with panache, offering breakfasts, sharing plates and cocktails and outstanding seafood meals. See our full review here. thebathmagazine.co.uk/flute-seafood-cafe-bar/

Discover more at flute-bath.com and sign up to get £10 off your first visit at flute-bath.com/offers-signup

Flute Seafood Café and Bar is open from 8.30am–11pm Monday – Thursday, 8.30am–2am Friday and Saturday, and 9.30am–11pm on Sundays.

Match day wines

The Rugby World Cup is dominating the airwaves these days, with so many of us buoyed up by the anticipation and excitement of a match followed by either celebrations or commiserations…

The Great Wine Co. has a wonderful line-up of wines perfect for Rugby World Cup enjoyment, ones that will earn you bonus points with your friends and family.

Try their French Odyssey wines and save 25% on a selection of classic French wine. Make sure you avoid the scrum and get your match day wine delivered straight to your door! Here are some of our top picks:

Pinot Blanc – Trimbach
Capturing the style of Trimbach, this classic Pinot Blanc is full of lemony elegance with a firm structure | £18.33

Viognier – Leduc
Peach, apricot and almond aromas lead into a refreshing yet fruity palate with a smooth finish | £9.25

Eugénie, Minervois – Aubert & Mathieu
A silky, fluid blend that is full of blackberry, violet and black pepper - absolutely beautiful | £14.79

Pigmentum Malbec –  Georges Vigouroux - Pigmentum

Beneath a bouquet of summer flowers, a rich red Malbec emits flavours of raspberry, blackcurrant and blackberry, held together by firm, defined tannins | £12.91

Crémant de Bourgogne – Veuve Ambal
Very complex and well-structured on the palate with hints of butter and flowers | £14.79

Explore more French Odyssey wines at greatwine.co.uk

Looking for more delicious foodie inspo?

Click through to browse our full Delicious Guide!

31 LE ROUGE Lipstick | £140

31 LE ROUGE is the new collection from Chanel, encapsulating the spirit of 31 Rue Cambon.

The faceted square case is inspired by the mirrors that line the legendary Art Deco staircase in Gabrielle Chanel's apartment, 31 Rue Cambon in Paris. The 12 satin shades, ranging from garnet to fuchsia and brown to crimson, each tell a story and are reminiscent of a Chanel fashion element.

31 LE ROUGE is a lipstick for life: refillable and combining recycled glass packaging with an all-metal mechanism.

Shop now at chanel.com

Pocket Timer: The Lost Ball Score Saver | £14.99

Bath local and keen amateur golfing enthusiast Richard Longhurst has invented Pocket Timer, an easy-to-use golf gadget that could save players’ scores and is already a hit on courses across the UK.

Pocket Timer is an easy-to-use golf gadget – just stick it in your pocket and use it to make sure you search for the full three minutes when your ball goes astray – and that your opponents don't take longer. Golfers simply click the timer in their pocket and it buzzes every 30 seconds, ending with a double buzz when the three minutes have elapsed.

Longhurst, who is golf mad and plays off a handicap of two at Bath Golf Club, said: “I first had the idea when the rules changed in 2019 and you went from having five minutes to find a lost ball to three, incurring a one shot penalty if you cannot locate it.

“Not everybody likes wearing a watch when they play golf, so the only other way you’d be able to keep time is by using your phone. But most golfers keep that in their golf bag and it’s unlikely anybody is going to pull it out before they go traipsing off into the rough to look for their ball.

“I figured having a little thing in your pocket that keeps time and vibrates when your three minutes is up would be a simple, efficient solution."

Before launching Pocket Timer, Longhurst co-founded the sex toy company Lovehoney which has been valued at £1 billion following its merger with German giant WOW Tech.

Shop for Richard's Pocket Timer here.

A joyful manual classic

The Panerai Radiomir Tre Giorni 45mm watch beautifully encapsulates Panerai's rich heritage and unparalleled expertise. 

With its enduring design - based on the 1935 original, superb precision, and masterful craftsmanship, this timepiece represents the ultimate choice for those who seek the perfect mix of classic allure and modern technology. Sporting a substantial 45mm stainless steel case and bezel, it has a commanding presence on the wrist. 

The case's distinctive cushion shape, and the brown leather calfskin strap with contrasting stitching pays homage to Panerai's iconic vintage models, and has a delightful touch of retro elegance. The faded beige dial, enhanced by luminescent hour markers and hands, and big Arabic numeral markers ensures effortless readability in all lighting conditions.

The movement is a manual wind with a 72 hour power reserve (Tre Giorni) and the watch is water resistant to 100 metres | £6,100

Click here to this and many more Panerai watches at Mallory

Curated by Daniel McCabe

Curated by Daniel McCabe

LE MILE is a Berlin-based fashion magazine that aims to celebrate ‘emerging and established creatives in fashion, arts, culture and entertainment’, a generic mission statement which masks how innovative it actually is. Originally a digital release, it moved to print within three years and recently converted to a dual landscape/portrait format which provides a fascinating framework for creative expression. The 35th issue is out this week and is themed ISSUE as ‘a testament to our collective human spirit that seeks to understand, address and innovate in the face of challenges’ – a bit vague again, so you’ll be surprised at how boundary-pushing it all is | £16

magalleria.co.uk

Dorothy House Santa and Elf Run 2023

The Santa and Elf Run 2023; the much-loved annual festive fun run, is back at Dorothy House Hospice and Winsley Cricket Club, helping to raise vital funds for Hospice care in Bath and beyond!

The Christmassy run is open to all ages and takes place along a 2.5km course through the beautiful grounds of Dorothy House and beyond! Participants can choose to do the 2.5km route once or twice to make it a 5km run.

Every child (Ages 2-11) gets a free elf hat and everybody 12+ gets a free Santa suit with their entry! Elf entry is £7.50 and Santa entry is £15.00.

Visit dorothyhouse.org.uk to book tickets and learn more

Bath Bach Choir: Songs of Farewell

Interspersed with organ reflections and songs by Allain, Gurney, Elgar, Ireland and Vaughan Williams

This autumn’s concert for remembrance season reflects the sorrow of loss and the uplifting hope of peace in eternal rest. The music will be by turns tenderly intimate and delicate, as befits the solemnity of the season, and thrillingly bombastic, ideally matched to the exciting space of Bath Abbey.

For this poignant concert, Bath Bach Choir is honoured to be joined once again by bass singer Frederick Long, who hails from the local area and is much acclaimed at home and abroad. He will perform some captivating solo songs from his repertoire as well as taking the solo bass part in the Fauré Requiem. The treble lines will be sung by an outstanding chorister from Bath Abbey. It will be a special treat to once again hear the glorious Klais organ in the Abbey played by Marcus Sealy who was for so long the assistant organist of the Abbey and has been the choir’s much-loved accompanist for more than 40 years.

Frederick Long bass
Chorister from Bath Abbey Choir treble
Marcus Sealy organ
Benedict Collins Rice conductor

Find out more at bathbachchoir.org.uk

The Viewing Room at Lansdown Stores

Sandra Higgins Art is delighted to announce The Viewing Room, a pop-up fine art fair featuring a diverse collection of paintings, drawings, monoprints, sculptures and ceramics from distinguished and award-winning artists. Curated by international art advisor Sandra Higgins.

7 - 22 October
Lansdown Stores, Bath BA1 5EE
sandrahiggins.art; sandra@sandrahiggins.com

Photo credits: Getty Images

Bath Rugby vs Exeter Chiefs

It's a double fixture weekend for Bath Rugby!

The team prepare to take on Edinburgh Rugby tonight in a friendly at the Hive Stadium in Edinburgh, and tomorrow is their final pool fixture of the Premiership Rugby Cup against the Exeter Chiefs.

The game on Saturday kicks off at 2pm and is not being streamed on TV so get yourself a ticket to be in on the action!

Find out more at bathrugby.com

Shakespeare Live: Two Gentlemen of Verona

Shakespeare's early play Two Gentlemen of Verona has feisty heroines, lovelorn and bickering young men, dictatorial parents, foolish suitors, cross-dressing letters galore, wild outlaws, witty servants, a big fight, and a lugubrious clown with a dog. Directed by Gill Morrell and featuring well-known Shakespeare Live actors and talented newcomers, including Bernard the golden retriever, as well as fabulous medieval costumes and live original music. 

17 - 18 October | 8pm | The Mission, 32 Corn Street, Bath BA1 1UF
Tickets £14 from shakespearelive.com

Protecting women in labour: rural Ethiopia - Double your Donation Today!

In Ethiopia, only 33% of births take place within a medical facility. Many women in rural Ethiopia have no choice but to give birth at home, alone, without medical help. This is because once labour starts, they live too far from a health facility, and are unable to travel.

By providing maternity waiting homes within pre-existing health centres in rural Ethiopia, women have a place to stay in the final stages of their pregnancy - reducing dangerous home births, childbirth injuries and needless deaths.

Donate from the 11 of October at midday, and your donation will be matched.

ethiopiaid.org.uk

Marmalade House

Marmalade House is an award-winning, professional furniture painting and design company, based in Bath. 

It specialises in French and Gustavian finishes that include the layering of colours, distressed paintwork and lime-washing as well as gilding, colour-washing for ageing and waxing services. The focus is all about colour and style and how that fits into a customer’s home. The team of trained interior designers also offer a design and styling service that brings together the client’s style and aspirations for change. For those who prefer to do everything themselves, the company also offers popular training courses on how to paint furniture to professional standards, and the use of colour within your home.

Run by Vanessa Sayce, Marmalade House is an established, friendly company that has its clients’ interests at heart, whatever changes they would like to make, and at whatever scale.

Tel: 01225 445855 Web: themarmaladehouse.co.uk

Calton Road, Widcombe, Bath BA2

Offered for sale by Bath estate agent Camella

This is stunning 2 bedroom terraced house, just off Lyncombe Hill, located conveniently close to the city centre and the amenities of Widcombe.

On entering this lovely property, you are immediately greeted by a warm and inviting ambience, enhanced by the presence of a wood burner, perfect for cosy evenings during the colder months and the most incredible views. There is central heating throughout the property which can be controlled through the Smart Hive App

Comprising of a modern kitchen, complete with Welsh slate flooring, offering a delightful culinary setting. Additionally, the property benefits from a modern boiler, ensuring optimal energy efficiency and comfort.

The practicality of the property is enhanced by the presence of a garage, equipped with electrics, allowing for secure parking and additional storage. 

For those who rely on public transportation, the convenience of being within walking distance to Bath Spa train station is undoubtedly advantageous.

This property seamlessly marries modern comforts with period charm, creating a unique and inviting home. The two well-proportioned bedrooms offer comfortable spaces for relaxation and rest. The master bedroom features stunning views, ensuring waking up in the morning is an absolute delight. Guide Price £550,000

For more details or to arrange a viewing, click here to see the property on the Camella website.