Piglet in Bed opens its first Bath store today!

British bedding and lifestyle brand, Piglet in Bed is opening its first-ever Bath store (and second store ever) this February.

Welcoming homeware and cosy lovers to the store located at 20 Old Bond Street, shoppers can expect to see a mix of items from Piglet in Bed's collection of much-loved linen and cotton bedding, sleepwear, and other natural homewares. 

Founded by Jessica Hanley in West Sussex from her mother’s garden shed in 2017, Piglet in Bed is inspired by the joys of rural Britain. Its collection – made from high quality and sustainably sourced natural materials – is teeming with heritage-inspired design, archival prints and a wide array of colours that encourage a personal approach to decorating a home.

Piglet in Bed is looking forward to opening its doors to Bath locals and to getting to know other independent brands and businesses in the region.

Friday 16 February | 20 Old Bond Street, Bath
Go to pigletinbed.com for more information

OUR FEBRUARY ISSUE!

You'll love our fabulous February 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.

Lorraine Kelly shares her thoughts on her debut novel set in The Orkneys, and we discover the changing shape of kitchens as well as expert views of what's on trend. Bath-based jeweller Nicholas Wylde also explains the difference between naturally grown diamonds and laboratory grown ones - an issue that has been recently in the news since a lab-grown diamonds business that appeared on Dragon's Den used misleading terminology to describe the natural and synthetic diamond industry.

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 the digital version of 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 – click here to subscribe on our website. 

Words by Melissa Blease

Jerusalem Artichoke Soup

Sweet, nutty Jerusalem Artichokes are at the peak of their season right now. Make the most of them with this simple but luxurious soup, guaranteed to warm you up on a cold winter's day.

Ingredients (serves 4–6)

50g butter
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1kg Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
800ml chicken or vegetable stock
150ml whole milk (or vegan alternative)
3-4 tbsp double cream (or vegan alternative)

Method

Melt the butter with the oil in a large saucepan and gently sauté the onion for around 10 minutes until soft but not browned. Add the artichokes and garlic to the pan, partially cover and continue to sauté until the artichokes start to soften.

Add the stock into the pan, bring to the boil and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 35-40 minutes or until the artichokes are completely soft.

Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool slightly before adding the milk and blending with a stick blender (or in a food processor) until smooth and velvety. Season to taste, add the cream and, when ready to serve, gently reheat, stirring continuously.

Serve in warm bowls sprinkled with crumbled shards of crispy smoked bacon or crispy croutons, a drizzle of cream and a smattering of freshly chopped parsley.

Fine wine from South Africa

South Africa is one of the world's most exciting wine-producing countries. Its warm climate is cooled by sea breezes from the Atlantic and Indian oceans on either side, resulting in a climatic range fit to accommodate the ripening needs of vines as diverse as Grenache, Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot. Here are our top five:

Rabelais - Thelema Mountain Vineyards
The aromas of this wine draw you in, evincing succulent black cherries and blackberries alongside a subtle yet complex herbal/spice edge - black pepper, fine oak, curry plant and witch hazel. | £59.50

The FMC, Chenin Blanc - Ken Forrester Wines
Layer upon layer of pineapple, candied lemon, dried apricot, ginger and vanilla, with touches of honey, spice and crème brûlée; effortlessly supported by gentle oak and lovely freshness. | £49.50

Synchronicity - Meinert
Fabulously rich, complex and chocolatey, this is the deepest and most powerful of Martin Meinert's wines, and yet it retains the hallmark 'family likeness' of beautiful elegance and balance. | £55

White Merlot 'The Italian Job' - Meinert
This wine is rich and sumptuous, with creme anglaise, pineapple, butter and delicate wood character. Intense, with a sustained, flavoursome finish. | £35

Semillon Straw Wine 37.5cl - Meinert
Amazing copper-gold colour. Gorgeous, complex aromas of apple sauce with cinnamon, apricot jam, marmalade, hay bales and green Chartreuse. Sweet and tangy on the palate, with quite amazing delicacy and refinement. | £29.50

Visit greatwine.co.uk for more. 

Peking Chinese Restaurant

Since opening in 1985, this family-run, independent restaurant is the number-one choice for local, authentic Chinese food. The master chef has created an extensive menu of fresh, healthy and innovative dishes selected from Cantonese, Szechuan and Peking cuisines, using local ingredients wherever possible. As well as the traditional flavours of sweet and sour, ginger and spring onion, Peking also offers much-loved lobster and crab dishes. The chef also prepares special dishes on request. The friendly, skilled staff at Peking strive to provide a genuine Chinese experience with a promise to put their hearts and souls into everything they do. 

1–2 New Street, Kingsmead Square, Bath BA1 2AF
Tel: 01225 466377

Click here to visit the restaurant website

Looking for more delicious foodie inspo?

Click through to browse our full Delicious Guide!

Bath Circus Tea Towel, £16.95

This lovely Bath Circus cotton tea towel from Homefront Interiors is decorated with a unique illustration by artist Emy Lou Holmes and is perfect for brightening up your kitchen. Made from 100% cotton it measures 49 x 67cm and is machine washable at 40 degrees.

Emy Lou Holmes creates her unique range of Bath art prints, cards, coasters, and tea towels digitally using Procreate and Photoshop.

Homefront Interiors, 10 Margaret's Buildings, Bath.
homefrontinteriors.co.uk

OMEGA Seamaster Aqua Terra 150m

This 43 mm Worldtimer, cased in brushed grade 2 titanium, has an integrated strap in black structured rubber, with additional decorative link and clasp in brushed titanium.

At the centre of the black and grey dial, framed by a brushed black ceramic bezel, OMEGA has produced a vision of Earth, viewed from above the North Pole, by laser-ablating continents and colours on a grade 5 titanium surface. Circling the topographic map is a 24-hour indication, indicating night and day across the globe. On the outer ring are cities from around the world with London highlighted in red to indicate Greenwich Mean Time.

To complement the matte look of the dial, OMEGA has opted for blackened hands and indexes, filled with white Super-LumiNova to emit a blue glow in the dark.

Powering the watch is OMEGA’s Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8938 self-winding, anti-magnetic movement which can be viewed and enjoyed through the crystal glass caseback. The master chronometer meets the highest standards and is water resistant to 15 bar (150m). Model shown £11,700

Visit Mallory Jewellers to view and find out more.

Skin Gym Revilit LED Light Therapy Tool

This Revilit LED tool by Skin Gym features three types of LED light therapy - blue light, red light, and green light - to help rejuvenate your skin and target specific needs. Non-invasive and poke-free, this tool glides across your skin for an effortless, innovative at-home skincare routine.

£64

anthropologie.com

Curated by Daniel McCabe

We’re big fans of Vogue Portugal, the one truly innovative and radical non-Condé Nast variant in the Vogue stable. The February issue is the The Kitsch Issue, created as a eulogy to guilty pleasures and all things tacky, or in their own words, ’a tribute to everything that doesn’t fit within the parameters of the minimalist and clean aesthetic of recent decades. Yes, it’s time to get the china dogs out of the cupboard.’ They’ve roped in the masters of dreamy and theatrical kitsch exotica, Pierre et Gilles, for this one and it’s already sold out at the publisher so don’t miss it.  | £16

magalleria.co.uk

The Forum presents 'Just my Imagination'

Just My Imagination is a celebration of The Temptations, the Motown legends named by Billboard Magazine as “The Number 1 Group In The History Of Rhythm And Blues!” 

From their first hit, The Way You Do The Things You Do in 1964, through the career highs of My Girl, Ain’t Too Proud, Get Ready, Papa Was A Rolling Stone and Just My Imagination, this iconic group’s musical legacy spanned more than 50 years and 24 Temptations.

Featuring a cast of dynamic West End performers, Just My Imagination brings a fresh, exhilarating and incomparable night of sing along, dance along magic to theatres throughout the UK. 

13 March | 6.30pm | The Forum
Click here for tickets

Bath City v St Albans City

It’s getting hot at the top of the Vanarama National League South! This Saturday Bath City FC play St Albans City who are sitting just 2 points above The Romans in 5th and 6th place respectively. 

The match takes place at Twerton Park tomorrow – kick off 3pm.

Bath have played just 30 games and have 2 games in hand, so will be looking for a third successive win in the league to move above St Albans and keep pressing for a top 4 finish.

However St Albans City will certainly be up for this game, too, and it'll be a tough and crucial match for both teams. 

Tickets for the game are available for purchase in advance via the website with a saving of £1 on the turnstile admission.

It's promising to be a good crowd for this one too, so get over to Twerton Park and make some noise for Bath – The Romans need another important win!

bathcityfc.ktckts.com

Cambridge Terrace, Widcombe, Bath BA2

Offered for sale by Bath estate agents Hamptons.  

This 3-bedroom terraced property includes a drawing room, 'eat-in' kitchen, three bedrooms, home office and a spacious lower floor bathroom, and the added bonus of a garage. 

The approach along this handsome Georgian terrace with its attractive frontages to No 7 is charming. The house has a stone courtyard enclosed by wrought iron railings. The entrance hall leads down to the lower ground floor housing the kitchen/breakfast room. This provides the much-requested features of a bespoke handmade, hand painted kitchen, plus plenty of room for a dining table and a door out to an attractive garden. 

There are two vaulted areas used as a music room, utility and office area. The ground floor drawing room is of note, with tall ceilings and two windows benefitting from far reaching views over the garden, city and to a few of the seven hills that hug Bath.

There are three bedrooms, the principal one situated on the second floor. The home office in the attic is a perfect location for escaping the hustle and bustle of daily life – and permission has been granted to convert the Victorian spiral staircase into a wooden staircase and extend the cloakroom into a shower room.

In the garden, there are established bee-loving flowerbeds both sides with a central path leading to a further lawned area with mature shrubs. An additional patio area surrounds a smart wooden home office. | Guide Price £1,200,000. 

Click here to view more images and read through the details on the Hamptons website