The rarest goose in the world hatches goslings at WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre in Mission Possible exhibit

WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre in Gloucestershire are delighted to announce that nēnē goslings have hatched this April. This is the second time that Slimbridge has successfully bred this species in their immersive exhibit, ‘Mission Possible’, which opened in May 2021.

In 1979 Sir Peter Scott released 200 nēnēs on the island of Maui, their native home. With all the best habitat having disappeared for development, nēnēs survived by adapting to other environments, such as fertile volcanic slopes. Today they live in Hawaii’s national parks, but also on airport runways and golf courses, where they feed on the rich grasses.

Mission Possible recreates this Hawaiian landscape and even includes a golf course and golf club house that visitors can explore. Visitors can discover how Sir Peter Scott developed ground-breaking techniques to breed them and rescue them from the brink of extinction.

During the 1950s the Hawaiian goose – fondly known in Hawaii as ‘nēnē’ for their ‘nay-nay’ murmur, was close to extinction due to the introduction of predators and the loss of habitat in Hawaii.

Visitors to WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre can see the new nēnē families at the Mission Possible exhibit. Exhibit Engagers are on hand at to answer any questions visitors may have and help bring this exhibit and WWT’s conservation stories to life.

Click here for the WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre website

OUR JUNE ISSUE: OUT NEXT WEEK

You'll love our fabulous June magazine which features a great collection of reading by our team of wonderful writers as well as beautifully presented advertising by Bristol's best businesses. We hope you enjoy the read!

15,000 copies are delivered door to door, and you can pick up a copy at many places around town – including our stands at Waitrose, John Lewis, House of Fraser and Harvey Nichols.

Read the digital version of our current issue here!

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. 

Words by Melissa Blease

Discover: the Picnic Loaf

What is it? The foodie-fabulous alternative to traditional British picnic sandwiches, super-easy to put together, best prepared in advance, perfect for sharing and easily transportable over long distances... or the short stroll from kitchen to garden.

How do I make it? Simple! Take one big, sturdy white of any shape (sourdough, French boule, Italian ciabatta or even a good old English unsliced sandwich loaf all work well). Slice the top off the bread horizontally and hollow the inside out so you're left with a thick crust and a sturdy lid – a 'container', if you like, for the filling. Oh, and you can save and freeze the innards for breadcrumbs for future recipes.

What do I fill it with? Layers of flavour! To inspire your imagination, start of with a Mediterranean theme: spread the bottom and the walls of your bread container with a generous slathering of pesto and fill it up with alternate slices of mozzarella, chargrilled vegetables (the jarred kind are perfectly acceptable), slices of cold roast chicken or charcuterie, salad leaves, fresh or sundried tomatoes and olives, plus the occasional drizzle of olive oil, the odd splash of balsamic vinegar and plenty of seasoning. Pack it in! Generosity is the Picnic Loaf's gift that keeps on giving. When your loaf is fully stuffed, put the lid on top, press down well and wrap tightly in cling film. Store in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, or up to 24 hours. When you're ready to tuck in, allow your loaf to come to room temperature, cut into thick slices and serve – and that's that!

Variations on the Picnic Loaf theme: stuff a Dijon mustard-smeared loaf shell with alternate layers of Pastrami, Emmental, smoked ham/turkey, slices of gherkin, red onion rings and mayonnaise for an American Ruben. Fill a large, hollowed-out, vinaigrette-smattered French stick with layers of drained, tinned tuna, sliced hard boiled eggs, green beans, olives and anchovies and you've got a classic Niçoise Pan Bagnat. Or, try a Great British Ploughman's Picnic Loaf: strong Cheddar, plenty of pickle and thick slices of ham interspersed with thin slices of pickled onions and green apples, served in a Bloomer case. Happy days!

Noah's Fish and Chips and Seafood Kitchen opens in popular riverside setting

Dan and Joie Rosser are delighted to announce Noah’s fish & chips and seafood kitchen is now open Bristol. To be found next to the river on Brunel Lock Road, Noah’s looks out to some of the city’s most well-known landmarks, with the historic B bond tobacco warehouse on one side and Cumberland Basin and Clifton Suspension Bridge on the other.

Open for lunch, Tuesday to Sunday and dinner Tuesday to Saturday, Joie oversees the front of house, with the kitchen headed up by Dan. The daily changing menu is informed by the best of British fish and seafood landed at the South West coastal markets and the freshest shellfish sourced from the icy waters of Scotland, all served alongside local, seasonal produce.

On the main menu, you can expect to find the finest MSC approved cod and Peterhead haddock in the lightest crispy batter, with fresh cut chips, homemade tartare sauce and mushy peas; perfectly plump hand-dived Orkney scallops, served in the shell, with garlic and fresh herb butter; simply grilled whole day boat fish complemented by delicious dressings; sharing plates to be enjoyed family-style and more. Guests looking for a little extra value can take advantage of The Lock Keeper’s Lunch menu, priced at £12.95, available Tuesday – Friday.

Address: 1 Brunel Lock Road, BS1 6XS
Website: noahsbristol.co.uk
Social Media: @noahsbristol_
Reservation phone number: 01174 529240
Open Tuesday – Saturday, 12-3pm & 5-9pm and Sunday, 12-4pm.

Salute Sicily

As the second largest wine region in Italy, Sicily has a rich history of winemaking.

One of the leading producers in the region is Planeta, a family-run company that owns five wineries and 350 hectares of vineyards across the island.

Their diverse range of wine encapsulates the Sicilian wine scene; a soft and fruity version of Nero d’Avola, an aromatic and intense Grillo and a fresh, fruity Rosé - a taste of the Sicilian summer in a glass. And if that’s not enough then there’s also an excellent Chardonnay, the result of years of hard work with the delicious taste making the effort worthwhile.

Shown here:

Chardonnay, £26.66. Golden yellow with greenish hue. On the nose this wonderful wine comes is layered and delicious, with citrus fruit flavours, chestnut, honey and a spicy complexity. As good as top Cru white Burgundy, at half the price.

Nero d'Avola 'Plumbago, £16.60. Classic plum and blackberry notes, with just a suggestion of chocolate on the finish. Direct and charming, enjoy this with anything from a meaty pasta dish to herby roast beef. Soft tannins and roundness characterise the wine.

La Segreta Grillo Sicilia DOC, £12.80. Clear yellow colour with green hues; on the nose the primary varietal aromas of citrus, white peach and tropical fruit. Fresh and smooth on the palate.

Rosé Sicilia DOC,£12.80. Inspired by a pink Sicilian sunset, this has a light and attractive nose with notes of rose petals, pomegranate and strawberries. On the palate, it is silky smooth, light and fresh with a gentle, beautiful finish.

Don't forget to try their Extra Virgin Olive Oil – a wonderfully vibrant, leafy green hue and a delicious bouquet of fresh herbs, citrus fruit, artichokes and tomatoes. It’s a mouth-watering taste of the Mediterranean £9.95

Save up to 25%* on Planeta and raise a glass to the Sicilian coast, The Great Wine Co. are offering savings on all other Italian wine. And don't forget to try their Extra Virgin Olive Oil – a mouth-watering taste of the Mediterranean.

Click here to visit The Great Wine Co

LE VERNIS DE CHANEL - Limited Edition

For limited time only, adorn nails with House emblems. | £87

SET LE VERNIS by CHANEL is an exclusive kit comprised of two iconic shades of LE VERNIS, bright Incendiaire red and Insomniaque white, LE GEL COAT and two sheets of 45 nail stickers featuring House symbols: double-C emblems, camellias and stars designed to enhance your nail colour and allow you to recreate the looks developed by the CHANEL Makeup Creation Studio.
Limited edition.

Go to chanel.com to shop

SOLARIS 100 ml Eau de Parfum - £160

Sensational. Generous. Warming. An ode to the sun, reaching through time and space. A Zenith-like, lively citrus beams down to blend with powerful blackcurrant. Cedar, sandalwood and vanilla creates an eau de parfum with uplifting strength and celestial grace.

Click here to purchase at penhaligons.com

Breitling’s Superocean range

In the 1960s, the new sport of scuba diving was all the rage; a bit of a science too as for divers, timing was everything, and Breitling set out to give them the clearest display possible.

The watch they named the Slow Motion, has clean lines, chunky luminescent indexes, squared-off hands and a high-contrast dial, all designed for maximum legibility.

But what people really fell in love with was the look. The new Superocean pays homage to the Slow Motion's celebrated design, but with all the modern features we now love: such as a scratch-proof, ceramic-inlayed bezel and brightly coloured dials. Broad hands and indexes in luminescent Super-LumiNova® are clearer visibility than ever before on the 42mm or the unisex 36mm case.

The watch is water resistant to 300m (1000 ft), as well as being shock, sand and saltwater-resistant. Automatic with a power reserve of approx 38 hours. There are two strap options (rubber and metal bracelet) and a folding clasp that allows for adjustments to wear over rashies and wetsuits.

Best of all, this is no longer just a dive watch. Surf with it, swim with it, hit the bar with it, and it will still look great paired with a suit or out for a smart dinner. The new Superocean perfectly balances the nostalgia of the Slow Motion heritage with a fresh new look.

Find out more about the Breitling Superocean range at Mallory.

Leica Q3

Always an exciting moment when the World leading camera brand from Germany drops a new launch; this time it’s an upgrade of the cool compact Q2. The Leica Q3 full frame,60-megapixel, fixed prime lens camera delivers amazing image quality for photos and video in virtually any kind of lighting thanks to the incredible wide ISO range of 50 - 100.000. The lens is the macro-capable Summilux 28mm f/1.7. There’s lots of innovation and added functionality to suit a broad range of needs, Leica have added an angled screen, are the first to offer a wireless charging option and there’s much more connectivity for videography. As you’d expect the combination of style and cutting-edge technology makes the Q3 is exceptionally easy to use, and seamlessly connected, allowing anyone to create audio-visual content in breath-taking quality. Pricing is £5,300 with London Camera Exchange

Find our more at leica-camera.com

To register your interest, pre-order or make an appointment for a demonstration by contacting the London Camera Exchange

Curated by Daniel McCabe

Many of our art, cultural and fashion magazines profle themselves as ‘a platform for emerging and established creatives’, a self-description now so generic and bland that after a while it barely registers. KING KONG employs this tag too, but it's a whole galaxy away from bland. This anti-internet, glorious freak show of a magazine is all about breaking the rules and freedom of expression which, ok, happens to be a useful platform if you’re trying to make a name for yourself. With a roster of recent contributors that includes the likes of Billie Eilish, Janelle Monae, Gilbert & George, KORN and Brett Easton Ellis, KING KONG shows too it can attract the top celebrity iconoclasts. | £20

store.magalleria.co.uk

The biggest disability sport event in Bristol returns!

The Ignite Bristol Multi-Sport Festival is back, and bigger than ever! On Tuesday 30th May, Badminton School will be filled with d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent children and adults trying out different sports and activities.

As a free, family friendly event, it’s anticipated that over 400 people will be involved in the day, trying over 20 different sports and activities and chatting to local providers. Whilst there’ll be some you might recognise from the Paralympics like wheelchair sports, tennis and fencing, there’s also a whole lot more! The event wants to showcase all the fantastic local opportunities available in Bristol so will also be featuring: yoga, bowls, frame running, hockey, skateboarding, wrestling and even nerf guns! With a quiet, sensory space and some self-led activities, there’ll also be the opportunity for some chill out time.

The event is part of a movement called Ignite Bristol – a collaborative initiative facilitated by Access Sport which aims to get more disabled Bristolians active. There is no doubt that Ignite Bristol has a key role to play, with research showing that disabled people are only half as likely to be active as non-disabled people (Bristol Quality of Life Survey, 2020-21). The Ignite Bristol Network aims to change this by developing more inclusive, local opportunities for disabled people to participate in community sport.

There are limited spaces still available, but participants must register in advance. Click here to do so

mustard jobs appoint three new Directors

Developing their growth strategy, mustard implements major changes to their business structure.

Since 2009, the Bristol based creative recruitment agency mustard jobs has grown exponentially. As a result the business requires a fresh perspective to enable success during this time as they grow and scale the business. The intention of these roles is to prepare the business for onboarding more staff, increasing the sales aspect of the business and improving the operations to support this increase in business activity.

Promoted internally, these director level roles have produced an advanced progression route for high achieving members of staff.

Archie Harvey, previously an Associate Director, leading the XP division (Experiential, Events & Exhibitions Recruitment) has now been promoted to Sales Director. Having amplified the XP division’s output, he is perfectly placed to take on this new role, working with mustard’s Divisional Leaders to elevate the client and candidate experience, helping them to understand the best recruitment solution from the range of products that mustard provides.

At the forefront of mustard’s business operations, Joe Bungey has been placed as Operations Director. Having started his journey as a trainee recruitment consultant in the BE division; Joe worked his way up the business with skill, passion and determination. This new role will support all the departments of mustard and oversee management of the systems we use to provide the best possible service to both candidates and clients.

Keeping the people within the business happy is a crucial element to growing and scaling a business, therefore mustard have promoted Phil Boshier to Associate Director of People and Culture. As a previous team leader to the ID division, Phil’s an expert in our culture and has gone above and beyond to support the mustard family.

Go to mustardjobs.co.uk for more information

Shindig Festival releases day tickets with camping

Shindig Festival has just released day tickets with camping, making it even more affordable to attend, and the forecast is looking bright and sunny! Prices start from as little as £60 per person for one day pass with camping on the Sunday evening. There are various day ticket and camping combinations to choose from and kids under 12 go free!

Shindig Festival is one of the first festivals of the season and it kicks off on 25^th to 28^th May in the stunning grounds of Dillington Estate in Somerset, a 16th century house and hotel that’s surrounded by beautiful, tree-studded parkland. It offers everything from Funk to Punk, Dancehall to Drum & Bass, Hip Hop & House, as well as huge headline Live Acts and a DJ roster of old and new favorites that span pioneers, legends and luminaries. Emily Eavis, organiser of Glastonbury Festival, has recommended Shindig as a great alternative for another who missed out on Glasto tickets, given its close proximity – just 20 miles down the road.

This year’s headliners include dance-pop legend, Sister Sledge featuring Kathy Sledge, famous for such hits as We Are Family, Greatest Dancer, Lost In Music and Thinking Of You. Other well-known names include satirical news reporter (and comedy genius), Jonathan Pie, known for his a potty-mouthed, highly quotable parody of a journalist who can often be found outside Westminster; London post-punk band, Warmduscher; the original queen of reggae music who is best known for No, No No, Dawn Penn; artist, producer, remixer, DJ and founder of Phantasy, Erol Alkan; top dog in the bass heavy-atmosphere of Britain's reggae dancehalls and BBC regular, David Rodigan; one of the most celebrated and accomplished DJs in Britain, Norman Jay MBE; and BBC 6 music’s, Huey Morgan!

Buy tickets here: shindigfestival.co.uk

Bristol welcomes new Bodyset physiotherapy clinic

Bodyset are excited to open a new physiotherapy clinic at 27 Regent St, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 4HR in June – with plans to open more clinics countrywide this year.

With a buzzing network of 26+ clinics across London and the UK, Bodyset believe that physiotherapy is so much more than pain relief and recovery. It’s about preventing injury, improving performance, and enhancing everyday lives too. 

With six bright and airy treatment rooms and a state-of-the-art rehabilitation and sports performance studio, the new Bodyset Bristol clinic is the perfect place for you to kickstart your recovery and performance journey. 

If you’re looking to recover from pain or injury, then pop in for a Physiotherapy assessment. If you’re a committed runner, then book in for RunFit – an in-depth running assessment designed to help you run faster, for longer without injury. If you’re part of a sports team, then get set for your best season yet with BodyCheck MOT. If you’re a new mum, book in for a Women’s Health appointment. Or simply treat your body to some TLC with a Sports Massage.

Whatever your goals, the incredible team of experts are excited to bring you industry-leading treatment, tools an knowledge to help you get the best out of your body and do more of what you love.

Bodyset is offering The Bristol Magazine readers 10% off with the code BMB10 (limited time only).

To book, visit bodyset.co.uk

Thatchers Cider partners with Aardman for its new TV commercial

Thatchers Cider unveiled a new TV commercial this week, which sees the Somerset cider maker collaborate with Bristol based, multi-Academy Award®-winning studio Aardman.

Aired for the first time on TV this week, the commercial uses Aardman’s stop motion animation technique to bring the viewer through the gates of Thatchers’ own Myrtle Farm home. We see how the family cider maker’s dedication along every step of the way achieves Pint-Sized Perfection.

With its relentless pursuit of perfection, the commercial follows the cider making journey from the orchards to glass, through Aardman’s unique and characterful story telling technique.

The commercial, conceptualised by creative communications agency, Bray Leino, has been directed by Will Studd from Aardman and produced by Danny Gallagher.

Image from left to right: Danny Gallagher, Aardman; Eleanor Thatcher; Martin Thatcher; Will Studd, Aardman; with Myrtle the Dog, and puppets from the Pint-Sized Perfection ad.

The commercial can be viewed here
Click here to read our recent article Thatchers Cider: Life on Myrtle farm

Lower Redland Road Street Party 29th May 2023 hosted by WILD OATS

On bank holiday Monday 29th May, WILD OATS are hosting a free street party from 11am to 5pm. Lower Redland Road will be closed to traffic and parking from Whiteladies Road to the start of Redland Terrace to make way for plenty of entertainment and activities. There's plenty of free parking nearby as it's a bank holiday.

Event timetable
11am - 12pm Adam Allsortz entertains the crowd with singing, dancing and magic tricks.
11am - 3pm Let's Make Art will set up shop outside the Bristol Artisan and host a children's arts and crafts table.
12pm - 1pm Adam will continue the fun and walk around the crowd to entertain you a little more!
2pm - 4pm Live music from Bristol-based gypsy Irish folk duo Razzomo.

Go to woats.co.uk for more information

Druid Stoke Avenue, Bristol BS9

Offered for sale by Howard estate agents in Bristol

An elegant and attractive Stride built detached 1930's family home located in one of Bristol's most prestigious locations. The house and grounds sit within approximately a third of an acre which incorporates a beautiful South facing rear garden giving access to the private woodland copse beyond.

The property is approached via a gated driveway with access to one side leading through to a detached garage/workshop. A mainly lawned front garden extends to the opposite side of the drive and opens out and through to the rear gardens.

A substantial interior is well presented throughout with most rooms enjoying an open outlook towards the tree lined valley view's extending from the rear aspect. The ground floor offers a magnificent drawing room with open fireplace and access to both the front and rear gardens. An open plan kitchen area with walk in larder and snug room complete with an open fireplace. A rear hall leads through to the side access and utility room. A separate dining room with double doors opens out to the rear garden and there is an additional store and cloakroom.

The first floor offers an extensive, naturally light landing with all rooms leading off. Four double bedrooms, one currently used as a home office, family bathroom and an exquisite principal bedroom suite offers dressing room and en-suite bathroom.The house is offered for sale with no onward chain, and we strongly recommend an appointment to view. Offers in Excess of £1,550,000

For more images and details click here to see the property on the Howard Homes website