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| Plus, four delicious turkey alternatives and new Netflix releases |
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A specially curated guide to help you enjoy the next 48 hours in Bath
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ON OUR DOORSTEP | WORLD-CLASS BUSINESSES
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We reported last month on the recently launched Bath Unlimited initiative, celebrating 17 world-class businesses operating in Bath. One of these was BMT, a multidisciplinary engineering, science and technology consultancy. In our latest issue, Emma Clegg talks to Simon Gould, Managing Director of BMT Defence and Security UK in Bath, to get an insight into their work, and meets two of his colleagues, who Simon describes as future stars of the company.
Enjoy a seven minute read here
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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW | GLOBAL RECOGNITION
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| Silverback Films acquired by international group |
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Bristol-based production company Silverback Films – the brains behind David Attenborough's most recent documentary David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet, which became the widest-ever documentary release in British cinema history, before launching globally on Netflix – has been acquired by international television, film and digital production and distribution group All3Media.
Silverback Films, founded in 2012 by Alastair Fothergill and Keith Scholey, has also been commissioned by the BBC to produce a five-part series supporting The Earthshot Prize – the most prestigious environmental prize in history launched by Prince William and The Royal Foundation.
Enjoy an eight minute read here
Image: Silverback Films co-founder Keith Scholey
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DECEMBER ISSUE | OUT NOW AND LOOKING GOOD
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| Great writing, great reading |
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The December issue is just out and we hope you'll love this month's read. As always, there's a lot of great reading to enjoy by our team of wonderful writers and contributors as well as beautifully presented advertising by Bath's best businesses. 15,000 copies are delivered door to door, and we print a good supply of extra magazines so you can pick up a copy at many places around town and from our stands at Waitrose, Sainsbury, M&S Foods (Twerton Mills), (Tesco Weston Village) and the Holburne Museum - all are topped up regularly.
There's nothing better than the real read but you can visit our website to read online.
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REVIEW | PLATE BATHWICK'S RESTAURANT & BAR
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| Review by Melissa Blease |
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| The Bird Bath’s new restaurant Plate… |
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Wittily flamboyant, subtly glamorous and home to a kitchen dedicated to serving dishes wrought from the freshest, locally sourced seasonal produce that head chef Leon Smith can get his hands on, Plate – a recent addition to The Bird hotel on Pulteney Street – is all about spirit-lifting joy. As we'd expect from a Kaleidoscope Collection enterprise (see also: Homewood), intelligently fanciful modern artwork and curious curios all serve to fascinate and cheer from the off, and there's an ease and competence about the whole affair that immediately wraps you up in a comfortable shawl of bonhomie.
Menus, meanwhile, change on a very regular basis and skip along to an all-things-to all-people beat from light lunches to grand celebratory feasts by way of cocktails with nibbles, smoochy suppers and a West Country Tapas selection for... well, for any time, really. Of a recent selection, a little plate of succulent, earthy Beeswax lamb offset by a piquant caper jam which was, in turn, mellowed out by the sweet, grassy tang of goat's curd resulted in an outstanding little dishy indeed, Leon's trademark chicken pie (moist, smooth chicken tightly packed into a neat, super-short pastry crust) proved to be somehow lighter than a 'traditional' chicken pie yet still reassuringly, comfortingly familiar, and a very elegant Hibiscus Panna Cotta was deemed to be “divine.”
Both the a la carte and fixed price menus offer exceptional value for money, Sunday lunch promises great things. Gastro Kids are catered for too and The Bird's unique Dining Domes experience has recently gone live; that's the festive season handed to you on a plate at Plate, then.
A fixed price menu is available from Wednesday – Saturday for lunch and Tuesday – Friday for dinner from 6pm–7pm, with two or three courses for £20/£25. A two-course or three-course Sunday lunch is available from 12.30pm–4pm
thebirdbath.co.uk
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COUNTING DOWN TO CHRISTMAS | TAKE FOUR GIFTS
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| Carole's Christmas Cover-ups |
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Highly acclaimed Bath based textile artist, Carole Waller sells her designs and painted fabrics at top stores across the globe. Her online shop features her painted clothing, accessories and so many gorgeous things. It may be a sign of the times, but her equally beautiful face coverings are things to be desired. For Christmas, Carole has created a special hampers: each with a hand-painted silk velvet circle scarf with a matching machine-washable face covering and protective drawstring bag. Available for £150.
carolewaller.co.uk
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| Stars that shine bright |
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Jody Cory is an established independent designer goldsmith with over 30 years experience, and her shop in Bath displays a range of wonderfully inspired pieces by her as well as many local and national designers. Jody was recently awarded the Retail Jeweller of the Year 2020 and it’s easy to see why Jody’s work and the great service of the friendly team are in such demand. Not only are there are beautiful pieces on display to cater for all budgets but Jody’s fine individual creations and her commission work makes her shop a popular destination for the highest quality jewellery. Shown here is a 9ct white gold, diamond and pink sapphire ring, £1770.
jodycory.co.uk
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| Blankets from Bath |
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The Natural Blanket Company’s blankets are impeccably stylish, luxurious, inspired by Bath and the west country and made from 100% natural Merino and pure wool. The company believes in the environmental sustainability of their products, longevity and preserving the heritage and tradition. The Natural Blanket Company’s products are sourced and woven in the British Isles with a dedication to support British manufacturers and artisan producers and with a commitment to quality and value. Prices from £40.
thenaturalblanket.co.uk
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| A Work of Art |
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This piece, called Greek Default, is by sculptor Sara Ingleby-MacKenzie who trained at Bath Academy of Art. It's made of bronze, and from a limited edition of just 10. Measuring 37cm high x 32cm wide x 13 cm depth. £3,500. On show with many more superb artworks at the David Simon Contemporary Gallery. The gallery’s Mixed Winter Exhibition runs from 3 – 24 December.
davidsimoncontemporary.com
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NOTES ON A SMALL CITY | LET'S EAT OUT
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| Is going out the new staying in? |
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Bath's hospitality ventures have reopened for (limited) business and, slowly but surely, we're all wondering... how will it feel to leave our own kitchens behind for the evening and let a restaurant cook for us again?
The simple answer to that question is that it will, or course, feel completely normal. No, not 'new normal' – just straightforward normal; after all these months of Covid awareness, complying with the necessary rules and regulations put in place to make us all as safe and secure as possible should be second nature. In relation to livelihoods, though, safety and security are two words that have dropped off the menu completely for the hospitality industry.
Times are hard for the independent businesses who have worked so hard to keep afloat during both lockdowns. While many of us have endured hard times of our own over the past 10 months, we need to acknowledge the part that we have to play – the extra-added responsibility, if you like – in supporting Bath's business community as best as we can; if we don't, day-to-day life in the immediate world around us is going to change even more drastically than it already has.
It must be noted, at this point, that this call to arms isn't intended to blithely overlook the many folk who are struggling with cashflow issues of their own. But as Christmas is severely curtailed this year and the summer holiday fund untouched, might December be a good time to consider using a little bit of rainy day money to brighten up a pretty gloomy forecast? As a bonus incentive to such a plan, Welcome Back deals abound at Bath's loveliest independent restaurants and gastropubs, including fabulous festive set menus at exceedingly wallet-friendly prices well worth cobbling some 'mad money' funds together for. But pounds and pennies aside, perhaps there's a similarly serious issue affecting your decision around the 'to book or not to book' question...?
Eating out in the highly controlled environment of a restaurant is, on many levels, 'safer' than, say, travelling to work by public transport, or living in close quarters with school-age children, or shopping/working in a big supermarket – just three examples of daily life activities that many of us have continued to do throughout the most recent lockdown. If you think beyond all the scaremongering about clashing tiers and the ridiculous news headlines about whether or not a Scotch Egg constitutes a substantial meal and allow yourself to digest a main course of rationale instead (ie, take a look, online, at your favourite independent restaurant's Tier 2 customer guidelines, which they're all obliged to publish; here's a great example from The Marlborough Tavern), it becomes clear that a supper away from your own hob is nothing to be scared of. And here's where our responsibility comes into play again: if you visit a restaurant that doesn't appear to be following guidelines or managing the behaviour of their customers/staff properly (hugely unlikely, given the consequences for business who don't stick to the rules), it's up to you to leave that restaurant and explain your reasons for doing so to the owners of that business.
The independent restaurants, cafés and bars that we all love so much provide jobs for local people, support other local suppliers, producers and businesses and offer vital community cornerstones that makes Bath so unique. They don't have the cushion of big buck investors to fall back on when times are hard; all they have is us. In readiness for reopening their doors this December, those businesses have, at extremely late notice, already done all the hard work for you in order to offer you a warm, relaxing welcome; all you have to do in return for making a safe return is to do as you're asked when you get there, and enjoy being back.
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WEEKEND WINES | NEW PRODUCER
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The Great Wine Co. is excited to be launching a hand-made project by Australian winemaking legend, Marty Edwards. Marty spent 19 years making highly regarded wines for The Lane Vineyard in the Adelaide Hills, a region renowned for producing wonderfully crisp Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2012 he made the decision to refocus but couldn’t shake off his love of wine and in particular Adelaide Hills as a region. So, he decided to create his own brand, 'Silver Lining' – 2020 being the very first vintage. Part of the proceeds of purchases of Silver Lining will be donated to Parkinson’s Disease research, which gives this heart-warming project life-affirming meaning beyond just making great wine.
Marty’s Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay are now available online and in store to kick start this exciting range. They are undoubtedly filled with passion and expression, showing structure and elegance. We hope you enjoy them every bit as much as we do!
Sauvignon Blanc, Silver Lining Wine Co; £19.75
Chardonnay, Silver Lining Wine Co; £19.75
Explore these exquisite wines online at The Great Wine Co.
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WEEKEND FOOD | TURKEY ALTERNATIVES
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| Whole Roast Salmon (GF) |
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Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas mark 4. Chop a mixture of prepared vegetables (sweet potatoes, parsnips and red and yellow peppers all work well) into similarly sized chunks. Drizzle 2 tbsp olive oil across the bottom of a large baking tray, tumble the vegetables in the oil and season well. Using a very sharp knife, make 4 slashes on one side of a 2.5kg (approx.) whole, gutted, scaled salmon. Combine 1 handful of of freshly chopped dill with 2 handfuls of freshly-chopped flat-leaf parsley, the zest of 2 lemons and 1 tbsp olive oil. Rub half of the herb/lemon mixture into the cavity of the fish with a couple of slices of the zested lemons. Place the fish on top of the vegetables and distribute the remaining lemon/herb mixture along the top, pushing it it gently into the slits. Season again before roasting, uncovered, for 45 minutes until the fish is just starting to flake.
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| Roast Duck |
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To release the fat under the skin for a crispy result: pierce the entire skin of 1 whole duck with a skewer. Place it in a rack in the kitchen sink and pour 2 full kettles of boiling water all over it. Pat dry with kitchen paper, put on a large plate and refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/gas mark 6. Place the duck on a rack over a deep roasting tin (the duck will release a lot of fat into the tin), salt the skin well and roast according to weight, generally around 2 hours for an average 2kg duck. But when cooked, don't discard all that fat! Strain well and use it to make the best roast potatoes ever. Duck fat is also great for searing meat, poultry and certain types of fish, deep-frying chicken, croquettes and french fries... and even for making deeply savoury popcorn.
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| Herby Lentil Bake (V) |
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Preheat the oven to 190ºC/gas mark 5. Grease a 500g loaf tin and line with greaseproof paper. Simmer 200g red lentils with 400ml vegetable stock until the stock has been absorbed and the lentils are soft. Strain into a sieve and put to one side. Sauté 1 finely chopped onion and 1 diced red pepper in a little olive oil until translucent, adding 1 clove crushed garlic and 1 scant tsp each of dried oregano, thyme and sage for the final minute or so. Tip the lentils into a large bowl and combine with the sautéed onion/pepper mix, 1 beaten egg and 1 handful grated Cheddar cheese. Season well, pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for around 40–50 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch. Allow to stand in tin for 5 minutes before turning out.
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| Stuffed Peppers (VG/GF options) |
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Preheat the oven to 200ºC/gas mark 6. Halve and deseed a mixture of large red and yellow peppers, allowing for two pepper halves per serving. Make one quantity of couscous (allowing approximately 80g dried couscous per serving) according to packet instructions; meanwhile, sauté diced onions, crushed garlic and dried herbs of your choice (oregano and thyme both work well) until fragrant. Substitute the couscous for quinoa or a mixture of wild and basmati rice to create a gluten-free dish; add cranberries and pomegranate seeds for a festive spin; add toasted pine nuts or flaked almonds for a nutty crunch; add black olives, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil in place of the dried herbs for a taste of mediterranean sunshine; add a vegan cheese or yogurt alternative for a creamy finish. Stuff the pepper halves with the stuffing and bake for 20 minutes or until the peppers are soft and sweet but still holding their shape.
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OBJECT OF INTEREST | GEMSTONE OF THE MONTH
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| December: Blue Topaz by Pomellato at Mallory |
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Pomellato's Nudo collection is loved for its simple, minimalist styling and the kaleidoscopic effect of its beautifully faceted stones. Each piece has been handcrafted by Italian artisans from 18-carat rose gold and features a sparkling range of gemstones and birthstones for all months, colours and moods. The Nudo collection comes in three sizes: petit, classic and maxi with rings, earrings and necklaces to match your birth month or to mix up as you please.
December is Blue Topaz. Here we have Pomellato’s Nudo Petit 18ct rose and white gold blue topaz pendant and 40cm chain, £1,400, a matching Nudo Petit London blue topaz ring, £1,760 and the 18 carat rose gold Pomellato Nudo Petit Blue Topaz earrings with a hook and hinge fitting £2,690.
Visit Mallory Jewellers to discover the full Pomellato range and the other birthstones, colours and sizes.
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BEAUTY BY HARVEY NICHOLS | PERFECT PARTY LOOKS
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Hourglass Foundation Stick
A foundation stick with the coverage of a concealer, the Hourglass Vanish Seamless Foundation, £45, is designed to provide long-lasting full coverage with minimum product, the fluidity of a liquid, the weightlessness of a powder, and a waterproof formula.
Tom Ford Lipstick
Velvet. Matte. Long-wearing. The Tom Ford Colour Matte Lipstick, £40, offers sophisticated, unadulterated colour. Formulated to create a luxury matte finish, the richly pigmented hues play a starring role in great party looks and can be relied on to last through the night.
Both products can be purchased online and in-store at Harvey Nichols
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THE KIOSK | MAGAZINE MOMENTS
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Curated by Daniel McCabe – Magalleria
We sell a lot of interior design magazines – it’s a Bath obsession – and Scandinavian titles in particular. The quality of Ark Journal from Denmark and My Residence from Sweden have raised the bar for the whole category in recent years, and they’re now joined by The New Era which (as its name suggests) also addresses how we might approach design issues in the post-pandemic world. Also from Sweden, it takes a more holistic, meditative approach that's underpinned with interviews with innovative thinkers and outliers, rather than merely gawking at big rooms. It’s very satisfying and the creativity is still jaw-dropping.
£17.99; magalleria.co.uk
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ON THE BOOKSHELF | HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR
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| Review by Mattew Leigh, Topping & Co. |
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| Metazoa by Peter Godfrey-Smith, William Collins |
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One of the last novels to be released in 2020 has also come with some of the greatest hype. The rights for a Netflix adaptation have already been sold and admirers of the book include Kiley Reid, Roxanne Gay and Jenny Offil. The premise is simple: A middle class white family from New York rents a remote holiday home in a remote corner of Long Island. What then happens is a steady coiling of nerves as one unsettling event follows another. This is the kind of story that will inspire many conversations and many conflicting points of view, which is to say that nothing that occurs in the book has definitive clarity to it. Interactions are often nervey and many questions, both within dialogue and with the events of the book as a whole, are purposely left unanswered. Despite this, this is an eminently readable novel, and not at all what I'd consider a 'difficult read'. Rumaan Alam has managed to tread the same line that Jordan Peele did in his film Get Out, in that what he has created is simultaneously disturbing, unwilling to define itself, and absolutely magnetic.
£20; toppingbooks.co.uk
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| Review by Matthew, Topping & Co. |
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| Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam |
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Vies with Entangled Life for Natural History book of the year. For those who read Other Minds, which introduced many of us to Peter Godfrey-Smith's unique and affable combination of philosophical reflection and scientific investigation, Metazoa will feel like an organic continuation. This time, instead of focusing on consciousness in cephalopods, he instead takes us on a broad sweep of the history of the mind, which quickly becomes inextricable from the history of animal life itself. Like the best natural history books, Metazoa takes a subject that is impenetrably complex and lays it out in such a way that is not only a delight to read, but scattered with illuminating moments of discovery and endearing human observation. A particular, and strangely affecting, highlight is the author's (a keen diver) repeated visits to a single, one armed shrimp - a small interaction that somehow brings the weight of evolutionary history, briefly, into focus.
£14.99; toppingbooks.co.uk
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ON THE BOX | THE QUEEN OF TEJANO MUSIC
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This American biographical drama, directed by Hiromi Kamata, tells the story of iconic ’90s Mexican-American performer Selena Quintanilla, her rise to fame, and her tragic death at the age of 25.
Starring Christian Serratos as Selena, Julio Macias and Jesse Posey, the series exposes the sacrifices that the Queen of Tejano music and her family had to make to become a star.
Watch it on Netflix today
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Father Christmas Advent Trail
Father Christmas is visiting Bath this Christmas. Perfect for the young and the young at heart, he will visit a different business around Bath each day from 11am to 4pm (10am to 1pm on Christmas Eve).
Like an advent calendar, the Bath BID will be revealing details of where Father Christmas is stationed from 2 to 24 December.
Give him a wave and post your Christmas wishes through his socially distanced post box. Include a stamped addressed envelope to receive a special Christmas greeting from Father Christmas.
welcometobath.co.uk
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Christmas Light Trail
We are all in need of a bit of cheer this year. To brighten up the dark days, there are plenty of Christmas lights in Bath. Bath BID has invested in spectacular monument lighting in some of Bath’s iconic streets. The installations has been designed and produced by Fineline Lighting and Visit Bath. The lights are switched on at 3:30pm, and the city will be illuminated every day until the end of the year.
welcometobath.co.uk
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Digital events at the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution
Throughout December, the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution (BRLSI) is hosting a selection of unmissable online events, exploring some of the world's most prominent thinkers.
On 15 December, Professor Robert Morrison of Bath Spa University will give a live lecture about Christmas in the Regency period, as experienced by some of its most notable figures, including poet John Keats and novelist Walter Scott.
On 17 December, viewers can also tune into a lecture with Professor Joanna Bryson of Hertie School of Governance entitled Artificial Intelligence and Human Lives: Looking forwards 2025-2070, which is about wealth, power, and intelligence, and how we are communicating these due to the digital transformation.
brlsi.org
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Jess Glynne announces Forest Live dates for 2021
Jess Glynne has announced that she will play Forest Live, the summer concert series presented by Forestry England.
Through her debut album, I Cry When I Laugh (1.2 million album sales and counting) and platinum selling follow-up Always in Between, Jess Glynne has become established as one of the most successful acts of the past decade and holds the record for most number-one singles (seven) scored by a British female solo artist.
Forest Live is a major outdoor live music series and over 1.9 million people have attended a Forest Live gig in the last 20 years. Going to a concert helps Forestry England create beautiful places for people to enjoy, run important conservation projects and keep growing trees. Every year they plant some eight million trees sustainably, caring for the nation’s 1,500 woods and forests and welcoming 230 million visits annually.
forestryengland.uk
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| The Easy Squeeze Love Seat from Loaf |
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Surrender to life in the slow lane and relax in this deep, wide, British-made love seat. Big enough to snuggle down - with or without - your favourite human or non-human companion.
Shown here: Easy Squeeze Love Seat in grey daybreak clever laundered linen; £995.
Visit the Loaf store at Cribbs Causeway or view the Love Seat range online at: loaf.com
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PROPERTY OF THE WEEK | LUXURY 4 BED TOWNHOUSE
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| Granville Terrace, Lansdown, Bath |
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Number 6 is a semi detached home with its front facing a row of trees, its rear looking over a landscaped square - Lansdown Square West - and to views beyond.
The plot is larger than its neighbours, with extra drive-way space and garden at the side. With Bath stone cladding on the first two floors and dark grey metal work on the third, this townhouse feels like a modern interpretation of a classic Bath property. There’s plenty of space on the driveway for 3 cars and a spacious garage offers room for one more.
Inside, the whole interior is painted a soft white and this, along with the engineered oak floorboards throughout the ground floor, stairs and hallways, connects the spaces seamlessly.
From the stylish entrance hall there are doors to WC and utility room, and to the L-shaped open plan kitchen, dining and living rooms. The sleek Italian kitchen is contemporary with a generous island in the centre. The good range of appliances are all high quality and extra features such as instant boiling water tap, food waste disposal and pop-up electrical points are practical thoughtful touches. Sliding doors open to the private garden with patio and lawn, extending the already spacious entertaining area.
Upstairs to the first floor, the reception room extends the full length of this home and has sliding doors to a terrace at the rear, as does the master bedroom, which has an ensuite with shower. Bedroom 4 faces the front of the house and has further storage. On the second floor, there are two bedrooms, a family bathroom, and a door onto a terrace at the side of the property which, facing south west, is perfect for enjoying the evening sun. Chain free and on sale at £1,000,000.
For further details on this property and to arrange a viewing contact Knight Frank.
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