Bristol’s iconic blue and yellow ferry boats are once more a familiar sight on the city’s waterways, with its new season having started this week.

This will be Bristol Ferry Boats’ first full season since before the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw the waterbus service suspended for most of two years.

Finances for the community-owned business were hit hard by the lockdowns, which saw its cheerful boats moored up for most of 2020 and much of 2021. But now bosses at the not-for-profit business say they hope 2022 will be a year of celebration and success. Roisin Tobin-Brooke, Chief Executive of Bristol Ferry Boats, said: "We can’t wait to get back on the water and welcome passengers for what we hope will be a brilliant season.

"We have a swift new waterbus service which showcases some of the city’s highlights and can be used as a single ferry boat journey or a stay-on-board fare for those wanting to enjoy a full trip around the harbour".

Ferry fares start from as little as £2 and, as a community business, every penny spent by customers is invested back into the fleet and the services offered.

To find out more, visit bristolferry.com

The global phenomenon of Bridgerton returns this month. The first instalment of the West Country-filmed production became the most-watched series on Netflix, with over 82 million households bingeing all eight episodes. Writer Chris Van Dusen describes the latest release as “romantic, fraught, charged and transporting” – can records be broken? asks Melissa Blease.

Read the full article on our website: thebristolmag.co.uk

For the filling:
whole, free range medium sized chicken (1.2k-1.5k approx.)
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 bay leaves
10 peppercorns

For the pastry:
450g plain flour
240g cold butter, cubed
1 tsp salt
1 beaten egg (to glaze)

If you're not in the mood for making your own pastry, use 1 x 500g block of all butter, ready made shortcrust pastry.

For the sauce:
250ml whole milk
55g butter
55g plain flour
1-2 tsp dried tarragon

1. Put the chicken into a large pan along with the onion, carrot, bay leaves and peppercorns. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil before reducing the heat and simmering until the chicken is cooked (probably around 1 ½ hours, depending on the size of the chicken).

2. Meanwhile, make the pastry: sift the flour and salt together into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a food processor. Add the cold, diced butter and either use your fingers to rub the cubes into the flour or pulse in the food processor until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add just enough very cold water and mix or pulse to form a stiff dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured surface and gently bring it together to form a smooth ball. Wrap in clingfilm or place in a plastic bag and chill for at least 30 minutes.

3. When the chicken is cooked, take the pan off the heat. Remove the chicken and put it onto a plate. Put the pan back on the heat and reduce the cooking liquid to about 250ml before straining the reduced liquid into a jug and leaving to cool. When cool, skim off any fat that has formed on the surface and discard it.

4. Cut the chicken flesh into chunks (discarding the skin and bones) and put to one side. Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the flour, allowing it to 'cook' for a minute or so to remove any trace of floury texture. Gradually add the milk and reserved chicken stock and bring to the boil, stirring continuously. Reduce the heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Add the dried tarragon, season to taste, then fold the chicken into the sauce. Set the mixture aside to cool.

5. Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas mark 5. Roll out two-thirds of the pastry and use it to line a 20–25cm pie dish. Add the cooled chicken mix and brush the edge of the pastry with beaten egg. Roll out the remaining pastry to make a lid and pinch the edges together to form a seal (you can, if you're feeling creative, make leaves or cute little pastry decorations with any leftover pastry at this point, and use them to decorate the top of the pie). Brush the top with more beaten egg and make a hole in the centre to allow the steam to escape before baking for about 35-45 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Allow the pie to settle for 5 minutes before slicing and serve with oodles of buttery mashed potato and a pile of steamed greens.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 5 and line the base of a lightly-greased 23cm pie dish with two-thirds of a 500g block of rolled, ready made shortcrust pastry and pop into the fridge to chill. Peel, core and thinly-slice 1kg cooking apples and toss them with the juice of 1 large lemon, 100g caster sugar, 1 tbsp flour and 2 tsp ground cinnamon. Line the pie case with the apples and brush the edge of the pastry with a little water. Roll the remaining pastry out to make a lid, seal the edges, brush the top with more water and a sprinkling of caster sugar and make a small hole in the centre to allow steam to escape. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Serve warm with cream, ice cream or custard.

Line the base of a lightly-greased, 23cm pie dish with two-thirds of a 500g block of rolled, ready made shortcrust pastry. Blanch 225g broccoli florets in boiling water; drain and put to one side. In a suitably-sized pan, cover 375g undyed smoked haddock and 225g smoked salmon fillets with 125ml dry white wine and poach gently over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes until the fish has an opaque appearance and flakes easily. Drain the fish (retaining the poaching liquor), remove any skin, flake into bite-sized chunks and use both the fish and the blanched broccoli to cover the base of the pastry-lined pie dish. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Remove any tough stalks from 100g watercress and tear into a food processor or blender along with 150ml crème fraiche and the reserved fish poaching liquor. Blitz to form a sauce, then pour the sauce over the fish and broccoli in the pie dish. Brush the edge of the pastry in the pie tin with beaten egg and roll the remaining pastry out to make a lid for the pie. Seal the edges, brush the top with more beaten egg make a small hole in the centre to allow steam to escape and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Allow the pie to settle for 5 minutes before slicing.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Gather 2 red peppers, 2 yellow peppers, 2 red onions 1 aubergine and 1 courgette together and peel and deseed as necessary before chopping into bite-sized chunks and tumbling across 2 roasting trays. Toss the vegetables with a mixture of olive oil, 2-3 cloves of garlic (peeled and crushed), the leaves from 2-3 fat sprigs of fresh thyme and plenty of seasoning and roast for 25-25 minutes, turning occasionally, until the vegetables start to caramelise. Remove the vegetables from the oven, tip into a large bowl, add 200g cubed mozzarella and 4-5 tbsp passata and stir well to combine. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6 and line the base of a lightly-greased, 23cm pie dish with two-thirds of a 500g block of rolled, ready made shortcrust pastry. Fill with the vegetable/cheese mixture, brush the edge of the pastry with beaten egg and roll the remaining pastry out to make a lid for the pie. Seal the edges, brush the top with more beaten egg make a small hole in the centre to allow steam to escape. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown, and allow the pie to settle for 10 minutes before slicing.

Sauté 550g Cumberland sausages (chopped into bite-sized chunks) with 200g smoked bacon lardons until just beginning to colour (around 4-5 minutes). Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 5 and line the base of a lightly-greased, 23cm pie dish with two-thirds of a 500g block of rolled, ready made shortcrust pastry. In a large bowl, lightly beat 4 large eggs with 4 peeled, roughly-chopped spring onions and plenty of seasoning. Add the sautéed sausage and bacon to the bowl and stir well to combine. Fill the pie with the sausage/bacon/egg mixture, brush the edge of the pastry with beaten egg and roll the remaining pastry out to make a lid for the pie. Seal the edges, brush the top with more beaten egg, make a small hole in the centre to allow steam to escape. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Allow the pie to settle for 10 minutes before slicing.

The Great Wine Co is currently offering a ‘Magnificent Spain’ promotion - with up to 30% discount on some truly excellent Spanish wines. There's whites and rosés but we've been fancying some Spanish reds... here's some all-time favourites.

Rioja Reserva – Vinedos Sierra Cantabria

This is an utterly awesome Reserva Rioja. Intense Cherry and toasted notes on the nose with subtle aromas of tobacco and cedar. Ripe fruit on the palate combines with light floral scents. Dense, sweet and polished on the palate, this is a beautifully balanced wine with very fine tannins. £22 (was £27.50)

Ribera del Duero - Pago de Carraovejas

The modern classic! PDC is the new standard of top flight Ribera del Duero. Brooding dark fruit profile, spicy mocha nuances from a blend of both new and old wood and firm back bone of acidity that can only be found on the Golden Mile of Ribera makes these wines both incredibly complex and ageworthy. £35 (was £44)

Rioja Edicion Limitada – Ramón Bilbao – Rioja

Intense ruby red with black cherry glints and a deep hue. High fruit intensity on the nose, with a perfect balance of dark fruit and oak on the palate. The spicy nuances play a key role, with black pepper, cloves and cumin. Fresh wood aromas with notes of cocoa, dry tobacco leaves and mint and a smooth, fruity mouth-feel with a long finish. Pleasant, polished tannins and refreshing acidity. £12.75 (was £17.50)

Organic Tempranillo – Bodegas Verum – Embrujo

A wonderfully expressive red, serving up a palate of black fruit - blackcurrants, blackberries – elevated by a fragrant sprinkling of spice. £7.77 (was £8.85)

Baluarte Roble – J. Chivite Family Estates

An absolute cracker, fantastic value for money and a truly great red wine. Fermentation and maceration occur at controlled temperatures in stainless steel tanks where the three grapes (predominantly Tempranillo) are co-fermented. After malolactic fermentation, the wine is racked into American oak barrels where it is aged for 4 months. This is a wine with a satisfying mouth-feel, black fruits character, good acidity gives backbones and structure, and a lingering tasty finish. £8.25 (was £9.95)

Explore the full ’Magnificent Spain’ promotion by clicking here.

Inspired by the Tudor watches of the 1950s, the famous Black Bay divers' watch is available with a GMT function, so it's easy to operate across different time zones without the need for an hour hand adjustment. 

Sporting a 41mm steel case, luminous markers and a distinctive burgundy and blue aluminium bezel, and steel bracelet (there’s also a leather strap or fabric Nato strap option) the characteristic angular hands known to collectors as "Snowflake" first appeared in Tudor's 1969 ranges. Powered by Tudor's excellent in-house MT5652 automatic self-winding movement, the watch also features a large crown and is waterproof to 200 metres. See this model and many Tudor variations at Mallory. Model shown £3,200


See the Tudor range at mallory-jewellers.com.

Metropolis, Bristol Cathedral, Wednesday March 9

Long believed to be lost forever, the full cut of the seminal sci-fi masterpiece Metropolis comes to Bristol Cathedral this Spring, with a live improvised organ accompaniment from musician and composer David Bednall.

Click here to buy your tickets