I've not been in Bristol for a huge amount of time, and am keen to spend more time exploring the area in which I live, so that it feels more and more like home. Until recently I don't think I had realised just how much Bristol has to offer, and so decided to create a blog on the subject - not only to catalogue my own journey, but to share my discoveries with others, and hopefully learn from these others too!

The aim of this blog is to keep Bristolians up-to-date with what's happening in the foodie world in their area...so if you're a Bristol-based restaurant, shop, supplier who has something to shout about - or anyone who's made a great foodie discovery in this city that they want to share - then drop me an email at bristolbites@googlemail.com and let me know! :)

Em x

Yes, on the evening of January 27th, we turned up to Arch House Deli in Clifton to spend a few hours with like-minded chocolate lovers who wanted a crash course in making their own chocolates. The workshop was one of a series hosted by Frances Cooley of Clifton Cakes - a Clifton-based trained chocolatier and confectioner who has become well-known for her chocolate shoes and handbags (take a look at her website for more details!) Our view before the course was very much that it would be fun but fairly unlikely to actually be something that we could do "in real life"...but thanks to Frances, we left full of confidence that it's perfectly possible to create your own filled chocolates at home (although it may take a little practice to do it as professionally as the lady herself...)

On walking into the deli, we were faced with not one but two vats of melting chocolate - one milk, one dark - which Frances was tempering in preparation for the course. As it turned out, this was a bit more complex than simply melting the chocolate. The fats that appear in cocoa butter can crystallise in six different forms, and tempering makes sure that only the best form is present (Wikipedia tells us that form V - the best form - gives us chocolate that is glossy and firm, with the best snap {as opposed to being crumbly} and melts near body temperature). We were taught later, however, how to temper chocolate in the microwave, saving having to buy very expensive equipment if you want to try this at home!

As with all good evenings, this one began with a glass of bubbly while Frances introduced us to four different varieties of chocolate from around the world, giving a lesson in how to taste chocolate. I think most of the 13 attendees were quite surprised at how much the flavours differed from chocolate to chocolate...the three dark varieties that we tried gave us citrusy flavours (Madagascar), smoky flavours (Papua New Guinea), and an earthy, rougher flavour (Uganda).

Next it was time to learn how to make filled chocolates...the type that we always seem to begrudge paying a fortune for on special occasions, but no more - now that we know how much effort goes into making them, we'll never look at a box of chocolates in the same way again!

We began by preparing our flavoured ganache fillings. Splitting into groups of four, we were given a bowl of pre-prepared ganache (chocolate and cream) to which we added our chosen flavourings. Our group opted for finely chopped stem ginger, which we mixed into a dark chocolate ganache, ready to fill our chocolate with. Each person then selected a plastic mould tray from a variety of shapes, which we polished with cotton wool (to give the chocolates a shine) before learning how to make the chocolate shell - by ladling in the tempered chocolate, holding the mould upside down to leave just a thin layer, and placing in the fridge for a few minutes to set.

Once set, it was time to fill our chocolates. We piped our stem ginger ganache into the prepared shells, being sure not to overfill them as the next step was to add the base of the chocolate. This was done in the same way as preparing the shell - by pouring over more tempered chocolate and scraping off the excess, before putting them back into the fridge to set fully.

While waiting for these to set, Frances provided us with some hollow, spherical chocolate shells, which we piped full of the leftover ganache and rolled in tempered chocolate to create a hand-finished look. Any course which involves being told to coat your hands in chocolate is well worth doing in our book :)

The moment of truth arrived...after the chocolates had set, we retrieved them from the fridge and tipped them out onto greaseproof paper - easier than expected, as properly tempered chocolate shrinks slightly when it sets. I'm pleased to say that our chocolates actually looked vaguely professional - most unexpected (especially when you consider the mess we'd made while creating them, as you'll see from the photo!) After ooh-ing and aah-ing over each others' creations, we each grabbed gift boxes, gift bags and ribbon, and packaged up a selection of the evening's creations. Other people on the course had created another three flavours (orange zest, Grand Marnier and praline) so we each bundled up a selection to take home at the end of the night, along with a few sheets of ganache recipes that Frances had kindly provided for us.

Overall, this was a truly fantastic evening - many, many thanks both to Frances and to Arch House Deli. At £45 per head, it was well worth the money - not only for the education, but for the fun we had and the number of chocolates that we took home at the end of the night! We took half of them into the office the following day, where, we are pleased to report, not only were they scoffed very quickly, but we had a number of colleagues asking for course details so that they could try their hand at being a chocolatier for the night. The only problem is that we now seem to be expected to make chocolates for the work lot on a regular basis...

Friday and Saturday played host to Bristol's 2nd Winter Cider Festival, organised by CiderFestivals.co.uk. We paid our £7.50 on the door and headed to the end of the hall to buy our "scrumps" - cider festival currency where one scrump equates to one glass (half-pint) of cider. We were given our programme and list of ciders, each with a box next to the name to rate it out of ten - and it was time to begin.

With 106 ciders and perries to choose from, we took the easy option at first by heading to the bar and taking whichever random choice the barman gave us. This turned out to be Lilley's Apples & Pears - a sweet, slightly sparkling cider - for Em, and Pheasant Plucker for Al - a light and easy-to-drink cider. I think starting at the weaker end of the scale (5.2% and 4.5% respectively) was a good idea, before moving on to the harder stuff later!

We soon discovered that, of the four bars, bars 1 and 2 were our favourites - these held the sweeter varieties of cider, including the strawberry and cherry varieties that we sampled later on in the afternoon. Some of our friends were more adventurous, including one cider festival veteran, who very easily identified the three or four that he'd not tried before...a man on a mission!

The festival was accompanied by local band The Mangledwurzels to get everyone into the West Country spirit, and hog roasts and cheese platters were available to soak up the alcohol. All in all a great afternoon for us cider festival virgins...roll on the next one in mid-February!

If we hadn't read various blog reviews and the Guardian article on Cloak and Dinner, all we would have had to go on would have been the cryptic email that we received on the 25th, simply reading:

your dinner will be served saturday night at 7.20pm at Quay Head House, Colston Ave, BS1 1EB (red door opposite the war memorial)

looking forward to seeing you lady hop

All very mysterious.

Despite the number of rave reviews of the evening that we'd read, no words can really do the experience justice. As we arrived, we loitered behind another couple who had already knocked on the big red door, and while we waited, we amused ourselves by watching the faces of passers by who were clearly wondering why people were queuing to get into an apparently deserted building. After a few minutes, we were welcomed into the building, and ushered into the large room downstairs until our table was ready.

We were offered a G&T while we waited, but instead we chose to drink in the surroundings. A surreal atmosphere - large windows facing out onto Colston Avenue, draped in deep red fabric, the room itself with wood panelled walls, various paintings and sculptures, candles, sofas and...shock horror...people smoking inside :) A matter of minutes later, we were led up the staircase to the designated dining room for the night, and shown to a table for two.

The surreality continued - tables crammed in, filling the room, the mismatched cutlery, Ikea dishcloths as napkins and our lovely waitress with a purple monkey-shaped pen and an All Bar One order pad highlighting the point of the four day event: that it's perfectly possible to have a restaurant standard meal in a restaurant setting without it having to be pretentious or cost a fortune.

Before ordering, we were presented with a teacup of a thick, potato-based soup as an amuse-bouche, which we drank from the cup while listening to the live music provided by a guy with a guitar in the corner of the room. Each course had a choice of two options: carnivore or veggie. For the starter, Al opted for the Cornish mackerel with a herb and caper salad, while Em went for a tasty salad of thinly sliced vegetables, including beetroot, radishes, celery and carrots - and we both went for the meat option for the main: pork belly with pureed potatoes and red cabbage. At the start of the evening, we weren't quite sure what to expect food-wise, but can honestly say that both presentation and flavours were fantastic - hardly a surprise, after finding out at the end of the night that some of the chefs who had volunteered to help out were indeed professionals.

For dessert, we both opted for the fig Bakewell tart with a vanilla syrup - again, presented to restaurant-standard and, despite being pretty damn full by that point, we presented our waitress with gleaming, empty plates to take back to the makeshift kitchen. Sadly we had to decline the cheeseboard, but decided to retreat downstairs with our coffees and two small pieces of wonderfully creamy fudge to finish off the meal.

First, however, came the issue of payment. A black envelope with "C&D" in large gold letters was placed on our table, and into this envelope we were instructed to place whatever we thought the meal was worth. Speaking to others at the end of the night, we discovered that nobody had put less than £10 per head in - the average being around £10 to £15.

Before the end of the night, we managed to catch up with some of the Cloak and Dinner team to learn more about what had been happening behind the scenes. As we had already read, all four nights of the experience had been staffed entirely by volunteers - from the front of house guys to the chefs. Ingredients for each course had been sourced by the chef responsible for that course, and each had been given a budget to which to work. Some of the professional chefs had managed to use their contacts to source cheap ingredients, while local businesses had also helped out with freebies and large discounts, from Gloucester Road fruit and veg shops, to local cheese makers.

All in all, a fantastic evening - and one that we'd definitely like to repeat when the Cloak and Dinner team organise their next guerilla restaurant experience, which will apparently be bigger and better, and in a different location, the next time they run it. It should only be a matter of months until details of dates of the next event are sent out, so keep an eye on their blog for more details. We've also volunteered to help out with the cooking next time round, so should be able to experience it from a difference angle...

Despite somewhat freezing weather, the area around the Glassboat Restaurant on Welshback was, for an afternoon, transformed into a buzzing, lively market full of stalls showing off some of the best artisan cheeses from local suppliers.

As I was approaching the venue, the first thing that greeted me – besides the happy bustle usually associated with any lively fair – was a pleasant and very familiar smell - cheese on toast! My imagination began to run wild as I joined dozens of others hoping to find something to please their taste buds.

Trethowan’s Dairy, Keens Cheddar, Papa Deli - all were displaying some of their best produce next to stalls from Bath Ales, Great Western Wine, Lido and Wayne the wood craftsman. There was something for everyone, from handmade ricotta (made by Lido) and Hafod, Welsh organic cheddar (Holden Farm dairy) to cheeses such as Vacherin Mont-d'Or & Picos Blue, and just about everything you could need to go with them.

The first thing that caught my eye was a small stall run by Angela Morris and Tim Homewood. They were offering a selection of handmade pickles and condiments alongside their homemade curd cheese called Old Demike (apparently named after one of the Pendle Witches).

As I headed towards Trethowan’s Dairy Shop stall, the busiest of them all, it became very clear just how enthusiastic some Bristolians are about their food. An elderly couple was in the middle of a very passionate discussion with Ben Ticehurst, one of Trethowan’s own, about their purchases. A large selection was on offer - Gorwydd Caerphilly (Trethowan’s signature creamy cheese), Dorstone & Ragstone (local goats cheeses) and Stichelton Blue.

For those looking to find something more unusual, the Papa Deli stall had organic honey, Membrillo (Quince paste), Queso Tetilla (a mild, soft cheese), Manchego (the most famous Spanish cheese), olives and countless other food items on display.

There was something for everyone. All of the cheeses on display looked absolutely irresistible and so I have to admit that I left the market with my fair share of them. It was a wonderful afternoon out…despite the weather I had a great time browsing through the stalls and we certainly enjoyed the cheese platter that we had for dinner the following night!

The above is the mission statement of Kate Gover, founder of Bristol-based Lahloo Tea. We'd been following her on Twitter for a few weeks, but when the opportunity came up to meet her and taste some of her teas at the Arch House Deli in Clifton, it was far too good to pass up.

An avid tea drinker who was disappointed with the range of teas - especially those produced by smaller companies - on the market, Kate set up her business around 18 months ago. Named after the tea clipper that her great-great-grandfather sailed, Lahloo encompasses a range of teas that not only taste good, but are beautifully packaged. Furthermore, Kate's teas are not "mass-produced tea from huge factories where cost is the number one priority". Instead, they choose to source their teas from small, fairly traded, family-owned tea gardens, and the quality speaks for itself. Lahloo teas are available at a range of delis, cafes and restaurants in Bristol, and are also stocked at Liberty's and Harvey Nichols.

My arrival at Arch House luckily coincided with the arrival of two fresh pots of tea, one of Amber Oolong, one of Long Jing. The former was a slightly smoky tea from Taiwan, which Kate explained was a good digestive, the latter a refreshing and easy to drink Chinese green tea. While I was there, I listened to Kate talking to others sampling her teas, and learned far more than I had previously known. I never knew, for example, that all tea - whether green, black, white or oolong - comes from the same plant (camellia sinensis)...or that drinking coffee - particularly milky coffee - numbs the tastebuds...or that all tea (yes, including green), unless specifically decaffeinated, contains caffeine. If you're looking for a low-caffeine green tea, Kate suggests going for Chinese  teas - they tend to be roasted, whereas Japanese teas are more likely to have been steamed...and roasting lowers the caffeine content.

Kate's enthusiasm for all things tea-related is evident, and this enthusiasm really is translated into her product range and personal levels of service, as evidenced by the testimonials on her website. She's also keen to visit those who are keen to stock her range, to talk through the best ways to sell and serve her teas, with tea tastings and decisions on which products to stock, and advice on merchandising and marketing.

For more information on the company, the products, and details of where to buy, go to http://www.lahlootea.co.uk.

Lorna - the festival organiser - has sent an update via Facebook to all who have said they are attending - details are below...

Hey all,

It's the Big Day on Sunday... we are very busy putting the finishing touches to Love Food, very excited about the following things..

Afternoon tea - mini cakes and finger sandwiches (not filled with, shaped like) on beautiful vintage china.

String quartet - The Dearlove string quartet will be entertaining you during tea - lovely!

Massive and super duper local food market - Cake, chocolates, wild game, Fresh Bread, local cheese, Wine - all the things you need to have a cosy and super romantic evening of food loving..

Therapy Area - show yourself some love!

Lush food, Paella, oysters, steak sarnies, Trethowans cheese toasties...

Fraser and his chickens - Cooking up some egg-cellent dishes - get involved!

Louise and Baby Bites - hands on cooking for Mums and little ones

Amazing art exhibition - local artists exhibiting some superb food and love related work.

Very Special guest 'The Art Tart' aka Rose Popay will be sketching about doing wonderful portraits of you and your loved ones and holding a very special tart raffle - proceeds going to Haiti.

Valentines Bar - local beers, ciders or a Kir Royale??

Hope to see you all there

Lorna xx

• Slug & Lettuce, 3 courses, £12

• Strada (Italian), 3 courses and a glass of Prosecco, £25
• Entelia (Greek), 3 courses, £25
• Sands (Lebanese), 3 courses plus champagne, £25
• Carluccio's (Italian), 3 courses and a glass of Prosecco, £25

• Alveston House, Thornbury (British), 3 courses plus canapes, £28.50
• Avon Gorge Hotel, 3 courses plus a glass of bubbly, £29.95
• Browns (European), 3 courses plus wine, £29.95
• Severnshed, 3 courses, £29.95
• Riverstation, 3 courses, canapes and Prosecco, £35
• Greens Dining Room, 4 courses, £35
• The Albion (British), 3 courses plus aperitif plus canapes, £36
• Glassboat (Italian), 3 courses plus aperitif, £45
• Harvey Nichols, 4 courses plus cocktail, £45
• Lido, 3 courses plus Prosecco, plus scallops, £45

The new shop is Swinky Sweets - a Bristol-based company that has existed since the summer of 2008, selling their signature cupcakes, fudge and marshmallows - along with a selection of retro sweets - to their sweet-toothed customers. We were told that Gareth's mother was downstairs in the kitchen frantically baking cupcakes for today's opening day, and after such early warmth and hospitality, it would have been rude not to venture down there once the doors had opened to sample some of her hard work.

Opening the door and glancing to the back of the shop instantly transported me back to my childhood, with a whole corner of the shop dedicated to shelves stacked with jars of retro sweets. From pear drops to peanut brittle, candy sticks to coconut mushrooms, all of the old sweet shop favourites are there and available by the 100g measure to take away.

Turning our attention to the counter, we were greeted by Swinky's newly recruited staff - looking surprisingly lively after a six hour pre-opening training session yesterday - urging us to try some of their products. We were treated to samples of a wonderfully moist white chocolate, almond and cranberry cookie, followed by their sweet and tangy lemon meringue marshmallows, apparently handmade to order in a rural barn in Wales.

Despite only having been open a few hours, news of the shop had obviously spread. Customers were already seated on our arrival, and we waited patiently behind the couple ordering the intriguing-sounding Earl Grey milkshakes.

When the time came for us to be served, we turned our attentions back to the counter and found ourselves faced with an overwhelming selection of fudge and marshmallows...but managed to resist buying the entire supply and focused purely on the cupcakes that we had been eagerly anticipating. With no fewer than sixteen varieties to choose from, it was a tough decision to make...until we decided that, seeing as we work under five minutes from Swinky's, we could try all the other over the course of the next few weeks ;)

We left the shop with a small(ish) selection of cupcakes to enjoy...and after we got home, the temptation was too great and we decided to sample a couple as a precursor to lunch. First on the list was the Deep Dark Chocolate Orange and Chilli, a chocolate cupcake piled with a chocolate and orange icing, the sweetness counteracted by a wonderfully fiery cayenne pepper. The Wild White Chocolate and Horseradish was the next on our list...and even better than the first. A plain cupcake with a huge mound of white icing, the horseradish flavour comes through strongly but the heat is - as with the first cakes we tried - dulled by the addition of white chocolate.

We have four more to try but are trying to ration ourselves!!

Swinky's also sell cupcakes for delivery, and cater for weddings and other events. With prior warning, they can include writing on their cakes for special occasions, and even have a gluten-free variety so that even those with special dietary requirements can enjoy them.

For more information, have a look at their website, or pay them a visit at 20 Park Street, BS1 5JA. There's no question in my mind that we'll be regulars...

That's where our new series of "Local Challenges" will come in. We'll be asking local delis and other food suppliers to provide us with a recipe for a dish...any course, any cuisine, any dietary requirements. Our only rule will be that all - yes, ALL - ingredients must be available to buy from that particular supplier. Once we've got the recipes in, we'll then pay a visit to the business in question, buy the ingredients and make the dish for ourselves.

I guess our aim here is to prove that shopping locally shouldn't be seen as novel, or as a special treat, or as a way of only buying the things that you can't buy in the major supermarkets. We want to show that our local stores and suppliers here in Bristol and the surrounding area CAN be used for everyday shopping...and, indeed, that they SHOULD be!

We've already got a few companies on board, but if you're a local food supplier who would like to take part, or if you know of anyone who may be interested/should be approached, let us know in the comments box below! :)

The SSSC is run by Louise Barnard, a Cordon Bleu-trained chef who hosts infrequent dinner parties for her paying guests - in addition to running Baby Bites. The current venue is an 18th century Quaker meeting house, but it appears that the March suppers will be the last to be held in this location.

Since we discovered the Facebook fan page, we've already missed a Sunday lunch (due to other committments) but jumped at the chance to book two places for the evening of Friday, March 5th. For a £25 donation per head, we will receive a welcome drink, canapes, 5 courses and coffee. Wine is BYO, as are any soft drinks/fizzy water that guests may want - and there's no corkage!

The Facebook fan page gives details of some of the previous menus, with previous attendees having been treated to such delights as fresh figs stuffed with Gorgonzola and wrapped in Parma ham, Slow roasted organic veal shank with saffron risotto and caramelised shallots, and Gotham flourless chocolate cake with homemade ginger ice cream.

For more information on how to get onto the mailing list, check out the SSSC Facebook fan page - link above. We'll be posting our thoughts on the event this weekend, providing the Internet connection in our new flat is sorted by then! :)

Thursday, April 8th will see Goldbrick House on Park Street playing host to the next LDB event - a cheese and wine tasting evening. Wines will be provided by Bath's Great Western Wine, and cheeses by Trethowan's Dairy. A cheese-only option is also available for non-drinkers and those who are driving on the night.

Tickets are only £20 per head, and must be booked in advance - no tickets will be available on the door. Details of how to book are available here. We'll certainly be checking the website regularly - I'm waiting in particular for more details of the "Pudding Club" they have listed for May 6th!

If you like a bottle of wine with your meal, as many of us do, you'll undoubtedly be paying over the odds, and no doubt you'll resent it. Chris on The Weekly Gripe website has recently claimed that the wine mark-up in UK restaurants used to be around three times retail price, but is increasingly four or five times, meaning that we are paying over the odds by quite a significant amount.

So, what are our options? We can begrudgingly pay a small fortune for a bottle of cheap wine. We can stick to soft drinks - or even tap water - if we're feeling skint. Or we can venture down to one of Bristol's "bring your own" (BYO) restaurants and save ourselves a bit of money.

The BYO concept has been around for a while, but has historically tended to be confined to Thai restaurants and curry houses. However, it appears that more and more restaurants are getting in on the act and not only saving their customers some money, but also giving them a wider range of drink options in the process.

We've attempted to list some of Bristol's BYO venues below - if you know of any more or have comments on any of those that we've listed, let us know!

BS1

Courtyard Restaurant, 20 Lower Park Row (Noodles)

Sergio's, 1-4 Frogmore Street (Italian)

BS3

Al's Tikka Grill, 33 Ashton Road (Indian)

Il Grano, 149 East Street (Italian)

BS4

A Cappella, 184C Wells Road, Knowle (Pizza)

Assilah Bistro, 194-196 Wells Road, Totterdown (Moroccan)

BS5

Eastern Taste, 94 St Mark's Rd (Indian)

Kashmir Restaurant, 15 High Street (Indian)

BS6

La Voglia, 130 Cheltenham Road (Italian)

Thai Pepper, 215 Cheltenham Road (Thai)

BS7

Simply Thai, 67 Gloucester Road (Thai)

Dev's Kerala, 180 Gloucester Road (Indian)

BS8

Il Rustico, 133 Hotwells Road (Italian)

The Muset by Ronnie, 12 - 16 Clifton Rd (British) - BYO at the Chef's Table only

BS9

The Villager, 35/36 Church Road (modern European)

BS16

Shadin, 70 Broad Street (Indian)

Octopus Books have now launched Lorraine Kelly on Looking Great - a new book from the well-loved TV personality, showing us how we can look as good as she does at the age of 50. Having struggled with her weight over the years, Lorraine is now comfortable at her current size 12, which she has achieved not by yo-yo dieting, but by eating and exercising sensibly.

This new Hamlyn publication is a 192 page guide to how the star manages to maintain a healthy, normal weight and fitness level without having to resort to crazy diets and completely avoiding foods that are supposedly "bad". We are taken through the usual guidelines as to which food groups we should be ensuring that we eat and in what quantities, before being shown the diet that Lorraine sticks to...a diet that is not all celery and salad leaves, but includes things like homemade curries and allows chocolate :)

The book also covers her fitness regime and health, beauty and hair tips. Although it does come across a little patronising in places, the book is far more down-to-earth than other, similar publications, and it's easier to believe that success is achievable. By focusing on overall health and wellbeing, rather than simply losing weight - and coming from a celebrity who is a "normal" size (let's face it, we're not all stick insects, and nor do many of us want to be!) - it's a refreshing change from many of the books that are currently being flogged to us.

Thanks to Octopus Books, we have a copy of Lorraine Kelly's book to give away. Entry is via our Twitter feed - click here and look at our tweets for more details! The competition closes at midday on Friday, March 19th, and is open to UK entrants only...good luck!

That's all set to change, however, if you live in the South West.Wednesday 2nd to Saturday 5th June sees the return of the country's largest agricultural show - the Royal Bath & West Show. As their website says:

"From the country's finest livestock, over 600 trade stands, the National Cheese Awards to the UK's biggest cider competition, there really is something for everyone - family or food lover."

Foodie highlights of the show include the country's biggest cheese show, cider tasting and the biggest cider competition in the country, well-stocked food halls, and competitions to find the best local produce.

These competitions are where you could potentially be involved. Traditionally, the judging of the show's exhibits has been done by a panel of relevant experts, such as cheese and cider makers. This year, however, for the first time, a member of the public will be invited to join these experts on the tasting panel.

According to Alan Lyons, Show Manager at the Bath & West Showground:

“With the South West being renowned as a food-lovers’ paradise and with the recent resurgence of interest in local provenance, we are fully expecting to be overwhelmed by applicants. We are taking this position seriously and all applications will be properly vetted.

“We truly believe that the observations of the man or woman in the street will prove invaluable in our quest to broaden the appeal of the show to a wider audience as well as raising the profile of one of the best food halls in the South West.”

Applicants who are shortlisted for the judging position will be informed of their success in April, and will then be asked to take a range of product taste tests and demonstrate their knowledge of issues around local and seasonal produce. One successful applicant will then spend a day at the show, tasting and judging a variety of products, including meat, fruit, fruit juice and yoghurt.

If that's not enough, the lucky member of the public will be paid expenses and given tickets to the show for four people, and will also receive payment "in kind", with the official press release suggesting that this payment could be in the form of products exhibited at the show.

I've sent off my application already (not that I'm expecting to be selected!) but for all those who are keen to try their hand, the application form and further details can be found here.

Good luck! :)

The wine tastings with Raj Soni last year were superb. Raj is former chairman of the West of England Wine and Spirits Association and is a font of fascinating knowledge about wine. His style is easy and humorous and suitable for all - from novice to connoisseur. The wine is accompanied by delicious papadeli food and the atmosphere is always jovial.

Here are the dates for this year.

Start time 7.30pm

21st April

Burgundy, including Cotes Challonaise, Maconnais and Beaujolais. £35.

18th May

Spanish wines. £30.

22nd June

Loire and Alsace. £25.

21st September

Italy with focus on Tuscany. £25.

26th October

Bordeaux. £35.

23rd November

Champagne, sparkling wine and sherry accompanied by delectable festive foods. £45.

Papaji's, Whiteladies Road's house of teas, restaurant, lounge and bar, first opened its doors to the public in September 2009. Describing themselves as "the alternative to the generic coffee shop that Bristol has been crying out for", they not only offer over 60 loose leaf teas for the public to try, but also a full breakfast to dinner menu plus cocktails.

Resident tea master Andy Dodd has trained extensively for his title, and has also spent time working on the Glenburn Tea Estate in Darjeeling. The venue continues to be linked with the estate, with a proportion of the profits from every Glenburn Tea sale going to the Glenburn Welfare Trust, which helps to fund the 3 primary schools, 1 secondary school, the hospital and medical centres on the 1,600 acre estate.

From 7pm to 9pm on Thursday March 25th, Papaji's will be hosting a tea tasting session, with details posted on Facebook as follows:

Come and have Afternoon Tea at 7pm, yeah, we know, followed swiftly by a tea tasting session with Duncan our Master Tea Blender. Try a wide selection of our teas and ask him all the questions you want! After tea, Andy the resident Tea Master will make you our unique and scrummy tea infused cocktails.

As we only have a limited number of places, please let us know as soon as possible if you would like to come along. The event cost £5 to guarantee that all who say they're going to come, will come, so that no-one avoids disappointment. There will be an opportunity for you all to purchase some larger bags of our tea and also some of our funky Kamjove 'Kongfu art' teapots.

For more details, check out their Facebook page or contact them directly via their website!

To celebrate this fact, they're holding a wine tasting session on Thursday, April 15th in their Wine Bar...but with a difference. According to the details on their website...

All of the guests will enjoy a glass of sparkling wine on arrival before the fun and games begin. Over the course of the evening, participants will taste three white wines, three reds and a dessert wine, with a cheese board also included. For every wine, three of the Bordeaux Quay team will talk about each wine. They will sit in a Call My Bluff style panel and deliver their tasting notes one by one. However, only one of them will be telling the truth, and it is up to every table to decide which of them it is and to avoid the two who are talking nonsense! A prize will be awarded to the winning team and also the knowledge that they are top Bordeaux Quay oenologists and furthermore, the least gullible. The event is open to 10 tables of 4 people, with costs of £100 per table. They recommend early booking, as they suspect the evening will be a popular one!

If you think you can provide the winning team (or just want to take part...), call them on 0117 9431200 or email restaurant@bordeaux-quay.co.uk ... enjoy!

The evening costs £40 per head, which includes a rhubarb cocktail and canapes downstairs in the deli, before moving upstairs for the meal. The full menu is as follows...

Canapes

Under a week to go until the Spring Festival is upon us. This time round, it'll be held at Brunel's Old Station, Temple Meads, on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th March.

The biggest Love Food Festival to date promises a wealth of food-related goodness for those attending, including:

• The Market: 60 stalls selling West Country food and drink
• Picnic Area and Bar
• Bordeaux Quay Cookery School Workshops
• The Lively Library: talks, literature, and exchanging of ideas
• The Den: arts, crafts, play, movement, growing, cooking and storytelling for kids
• Therapy Area: sample treatments, natural remedies, advice & talks from local therapists
• The Cinema: topical and informative short films for all ages
• The Garden: a selection of culinary and medicinal herbs, plants and flowers

After the success of their Cheese Fest earlier this year, the lovely people at the Glassboat have decided to play host to another foodie event, with the wharf being transformed into a chocolate lovers' paradise for the day. The event will include specialist chocolatier stalls, Bristol's biggest Easter Egg hunt, and chocolate cocktail tasting, and kids who love animals will be able to see one day old chicks and pet the festival's rabbits.

In addition, if you're looking for something savoury to counteract the chocolate overdose, the Glassboat are serving a brunch menu and a Sunday roast menu all day.

The chocolate festival runs from 10am to 4pm on Sunday, April 4th on Welsh Back - for more information email events@glassboat.co.uk, or phone Kirstie on 0117 929 0704.

A while back, we posted details of our "Local Challenge" - our challenge to local shops and delis to provide us with a recipe using only ingredients that you could buy from them. We would then make the recipe and report back...and we're happy to announce that we have our first entrant!

Papadeli, on Alma Road, Clifton, was the first to accept the challenge. Opened 8 years ago with nothing more than some Habitat shelves, an electric hob and cooker and two display fridges, the deli now boasts the additions of an upstairs cafe and a catering business. The shelves and display counters are filled to bursting with a huge selection of food and drink products from various locations, ranging from Spanish turron and Tuscan wild boar salami, to French chicken liver and Calvados pate and Bristol's very own Lahloo tea.

The recipe sent over by Catrin was for a Chickpea and Chorizo stew, and fitted nicely into the rules of only using ingredients available from the deli. The weekend after our walk to the deli to pick up the ingredients, we made a huge batch of the stew which we were then more than happy to eat for the next few days. Although it's a stew by name, it's fairly rich, yet light enough to be enjoyed as an evening meal as the weather gets warmer. It's also quick to cook, which is a bonus for a midweek meal! The chickpeas in brine we bought from Papadeli are fantastically plump and so much easier than soaking the dried stuff :)

Simple proof that delis can be used for "normal" shopping as well as for buying the odd bits and pieces. We're definitely recommending this recipe (and, obviously, this deli!) Enjoy...

Chickpea and Chorizo Stew

Serves 6-8

200g diced pancetta adobada

1x diced Alejandro chorizo

1 medium red onion, chopped

1x 400g jar Ibsa tomato and red pepper sauce

1x 400g jar water

2x 660g jars El Navarrico chickpeas in brine (undrained)

3 large garlic cloves, crushed

2 tbsp chopped oregano (ideally fresh)

Black pepper to taste

- Fry the diced pancetta, onion and chorizo together until they are all beginning to brown. Add the tomato and red pepper sauce and the water, stir well, and bring to a gentle simmer

- Add the crushed garlic, one and a half tablespoons of oregano, black pepper, and the chickpeas in their brine. Stir again, bringing to a gentle simmer.

- Hold the simmer for 5-10 minutes then serve in bowls, scattering the remaining oregano over the top.

(sorry about the lack of photos, but they didn't come out well on my camera phone!)

It seems that we already have festivals for most of our favourite foods and drinks: cider, cheese, beer, chocolate, wine, and even chillis, to name but a few. A report from The Sun earlier this year claimed that around 20 million Brits pop out to a coffee shop each week, and stats from Mintel claim that the UK coffee market will be worth £976 millon by 2015. With such seemingly high levels of caffeine addiction, it was only a matter of time until the first UK coffee festival was announced.

Luckily for us South Westerners, this inaugural event is to be held in our neck of the woods, thanks to Linda Donaldson, organiser of the Bath Coffee Festival.

Taking place over the weekend of the 15th and 16th of May, this free-to-attend event will take place at Bath Rugby Club's Recreation Ground. According to Linda, "Bath seemed the natural location for the UK’s first coffee festival as café society is such an important part of the city’s life. Bath has a large number of independent retailers as well as the big brands, and with its many other attractions, Bath is an ideal location."

The "big brands" that will be exhibiting at the festival include such household names as Cafédirect, Taylors of Harrogate, Whittard of Chelsea and Caffé Ritazza. However, there will also be the chance to visit the stalls of smaller, local, independent brands such as Bath-based Carpuccino and Gillards of Bath, the Cornish Origin Coffee, and Bristol's own Wogan Coffee.

The event is not just about sampling multiple cups of the stuff, however. Other diversions include visiting the stall of Derek Stansfield, who uses coffee as a medium for his watercolours. There will also be companies selling everything you need to make your favourite cuppa, from coffee machines to flavoured syrups, and access to the Take it Easy tent, where you will be served free coffee while being able to relax with a newspaper and live music.

A demonstration tent will also be in action over the course of the weekend, with festival-goers able to learn how to cook with coffee, create amazing latte art and have a demonstration from the South West's Champion Barista, Jose Melim. If you're still left wanting more, there will also be cakes, chocolates and ice cream (coffee-flavoured, of course!) to keep you going throughout the day.

With so much packed into the weekend, it's amazing to see that entry to this event is free of charge! As Linda says, "The festival will be an excellent way for visitors to get excited about coffee in a beautiful city famed for its café culture and high end coffee shops.”

For more details, go to the Bath Coffee Festival website, or follow the organisers on twitter.com/bathcoffee.

Wednesday, May 12th will see four British names coming together for The Big Cheese Taste Off. Described as "the ULTIMATE in food and drink pairing", the evening will see the Grain Barge playing host to Bristol Beer Factory, Trethowan's Dairy Shop, The Orchard Pig and Hallgarten Wines as they ask the question:

"What do you drink with cheese? Beer, wine or cider?"

Trethowan's will be supplying a variety of locally produced cheeses, which have been matched to beers, wines and ciders provided by the other three companies...and they want YOU to answer the question. For only £10 per ticket, you can spend your Wednesday evening learning a little about how to match food and drink, taste some new beers, wines and ciders, and decide which works best with each of the cheeses. Bristol Beer Factory appear to have decided that it's the beers...then again, they're a little biased ;)

The evening is one in a series of "Taste Offs" that are apparently planned, and will be held at the Grain Barge on Hotwells Road on Wednesday, May 12th, starting at 7.30pm. Tickets are £10 each on a first come, first served basis, and are available from the Grain Barge, The Bristol Beer Factory and from Orchard Pig.

I think this may have to replace my original plan of the regular quiz night next Wednesday. My prediction is that cider will most definitely get my vote... :)

After the ongoing excitement of the General Election, Wednesday night saw a variety of Bristolians heading down to the Grain Barge to cast the only vote that really mattered: is wine, beer or cider the best partner for cheese?

Hosted by Rob Salvage of Bristol Ferry Boat Company and BBC Radio Bristol fame, the evening entailed Andrew of Bristol Beer Factory, Andrew of Hallgarten Wines and Andrew (yes, this made their names significantly easier to remember after a few drinks...) and Alex of The Orchard Pig trying their hardest to convince the punters that their tipple of choice was the best accompaniment for each of the three cheeses provided by Todd and Alex of Trethowan's Dairy.

Each cheese was accompanied by a glass of each of the three drinks, with the Andrews explaining why they had chosen this particular variety, why it paired better with the cheese than either of the other drinks, and some (naming no names) evidently trying to influence votes by pouring quite generous measures.

The first cheese was Trethowan's Gorwydd Caerphilly, which was paired with Orchard Pig Dry Cider, Dopff Au Moulin Riesling, and BBF Sunrise. Andrew Wine argued that the depth of flavour and acidity of the Riesling gave it the backbone to cope with the stronger flavours of the cheese, Andrew Cider maintained that his dry and acidic cider complimented the dry and acidic cheese perfectly, and Andrew Beer declared that the Sunrise and the Caerphilly were "made to go together".

MY VOTES FROM ROUND 1: Cider 1st, Wine 2nd, Beer 3rd.

The second round brought with it the fantastic Keen's Cheddar, which seemed to win the vote for the best cheese of the night. Andrew Cider's Medium Table Cider was described as being filtered for a subtle taste, which flatters the Cheddar and doesn't smother it with flavour. Andrew Beer went for a greater depth of flavour with his Exhibition, claiming that a full-flavoured beer and a creamy Cheddar were a winning combination. And Andrew Wine gave us a Rioja Crianza, maintaining that the tannin levels in the wine gave it the structure and backbone needed alongside the strength of the Cheddar.

MY VOTES FROM ROUND 2: Wine 1st, Cider 2nd, Beer 3rd.

The third and final round saw plates of Stichelton making their way to the tables. More moist, less crumbly and creamier than Stilton, it was this round that saw the most diversity in terms of pairing. Andrew Beer chose the BBF Milk Stout, insisting that the lactose sugar in the beer gives it a sweetnessr that combines well with the creamy Stichelton. Andrew Wine argued that neither beer nor cider could give the level of flavour that his sweet, rich choice of Muscat Beaumes de Venise provided. Andrew Cider closed the show with their brand new Medium Sparkling Cider - so brand new, in fact, that the bottles weren't even labelled! At 4.2% and blended with apple juice for natural sugars, he argued that the lightness and sweetness went well with the cheese and would cleanse the palate.

MY VOTES FOR ROUND 3: Cider 1st, Wine 2nd, Beer 3rd.

I'm going to make a confession at this point: I'm not a beer drinker and I'm a huge cider fan, so my votes were potentially a little biased. As we polished off the last of the cheese and drink with some fantastic bread from Bristol-based Mark's Bread, it appeared that I wasn't the only one, as the results showed: cider stole the show with 48 wins, with wine in second place (36 wins) and beer bringing up the rear with 21 wins.

The Grain Barge are apparently planning on organising a series of similar tasting events, which will hopefully run monthly, and I'll definitely be making a return visit for the next one. As well as tasting some fantastic cheese, drinks and bread, it was a great opportunity to chat with the guys from Trethowan's, Bristol Beer Factory, Orchard Pig and Hallgarten to learn more about their trades. The social aspect was also great fun: I turned up with three friends, but ended up at the same table as the lovely creators of the Ephemeral Digest and Bristol Culture blogs - these guys have also written up last night's taste off, and clicking on the blog names will take you directly to their take on things!

I now have to admit that I don't remember a great deal about what happened towards the end of the evening, and the morning after saw quite a nasty hangover. The things we do in the name of food blogging... :)

Nominated as Britain's "Best Foodie Street" (but sadly didn't win) in the 2010 Google Street View Awards, Whiteladies Road is proving to be a popular choice for new food-focused businesses. Last weekend saw the opening of the Three Coqs Brasserie, offering casual dining alongside a wine list featuring only biodynamic wines that Bell's Diner's Christopher Wicks has matched carefully to the sharing plates on offer.

The old Nationwide Building Society building on St John's Court is to be Whiteladies' next foodie venture, when "early summer", according to their website, will see the doors of the latest branch of COOK opening in Bristol.

The Kent-based company produces, say the Telegraph, "frozen meals that look and taste like they have been home-cooked with love and flair". Founded in 1996 by Edward and Dale with a Sittingbourne-based kitchen and one shop in Farnham, the company now have over 30 shops across the country and more than 150 farm shops that stock their meals, while still maintaining their background as a family-run company.

While many of Bristol's foodies will no doubt turn their noses up at the mere mention of the word "ready meals", COOK's values speak for themselves. No ingredient enters the kitchen unless the chefs are 100% happy. All prepping of ingredients is done by hand. All pastry is handmade. All dishes are hand-finished rather than using machines. Certainly more appealing than a big name supermarket ready meal so far, but what about the food?

Current bestsellers from COOK are traditional meals such as Lasagne, Chicken Ham and Leek Pie, Fisherman's Pie and Cottage Pie. However, the COOK range also includes a variety of less traditional options, such as Cassoulet, Moroccan Harissa Chicken and Smoked Haddock & Sweet Potato Gratin. Side dishes are also available, along with baby food, children's meals, buffet-style food for entertaining, desserts...and even ceramic dishes that are the perfect size for their portions, so you can pretend that you've cooked them yourself ;)

Prices seem fairly reasonable, at generally under £4 per portion, with the cost decreasing as you buy further portions. The question is how much the frozen ready meal concept will appeal in an area known for its farmers' markets and delis. Based on the testimonials on their website, I'll be heading down there when they open to give them a go. It's a great idea for the time-poor, and I'm intrigued to see how a shop purely focused on selling ready meals works...

Ever heard of a film launch being celebrated with the creation of new cupcake varieties? No, me neither. That's precisely what Park Street-based Swinky's Sweets have decided to do this May.

The arrival of Sex And The City 2 has provided Gareth and his team with the perfect excuse to create two new cupcake flavours, which will be launched this Friday, May 28th. Having already decided that Miranda's character is perfectly represented by their existing, reliable chocolate cupcake, and Charlotte's by traditional vanilla, the two new flavours are designed to capture the essence of Samantha and Carrie, namely...

Cosmopolitan Cupcake: Blitzed cranberries infuse vanilla sponge cake with a hint of lime zest to stand up to the sweetness. Topped with a Cranberry, Orange and Lime Frosting, the only thing missing is the Vodka!

Swinky’s ‘Dirty Martini’ Cupcake: Light chocolate cake is wrapped in martini-chocolate frosting and drizzled in salted caramel! Elegance with a feisty kick and a potential classic.

The new cupcakes are priced at £1.75 each to take away, £1.95 each to eat in. Better still, the shop are offering a free bag of 80's retro sweets to anyone who buys one of their Sex And The City cupcakes on May 28th, and whispers "Life Is Sweet" to the staff when ordering.

New cupcake flavours AND free sweets? Can it get any better? (actually yes - I get paid on Friday :) )

For more details of Swinky's Sweets, including location, check out their website here. Enjoy!

Cornish pasties, Melton Mowbray pork pies, Lancashire hotpot and Lincolnshire sausages. Many areas in the UK have their own traditional foods, with some even protected by EU law. And Somerset? Well, it's known for its cheddar and cider, but a local butcher believes that we should be looking to promote more local foods and improve Somerset's foodie credentials.

Somerset butcher Malcolm Pyne, who runs P & B Pyne in North Petherton, is calling for foodies across Somerset to come up with local delicacies for the region, either by scouring old cookery books or designing completely new regional foods from scratch...providing that they accurately reflect what the county has to offer. In return for ideas, Malcolm will be offering £100-worth of meat from his butcher's for the best suggestion.

To encourage others and to give them ideas, Malcolm has come up with his own suggestion: a Somerset pie. With a filling consisting of a faggot and pea mixture, a cheddar cheese pastry crust, and topped with mashed potato made with local creme fraiche, Pyne says, "This pie is the sort of thing I'm looking for. By the time our shop opens at the end of the year I would like to see an entire section devoted to products that really tell the story of the fantastic food that Somerset can produce."

If you have any ideas, contact Malcolm Pyne on 01278 663050 and help to put Somerset well and truly on the map! :)

It's out with the old and in with the new for Chris Wicks of Bell's Diner fame, having converted pan-Asian restaurant Budokan into the newly opened Three Coqs Brasserie above Clifton Down Shopping Centre. Along with the other two "Coqs" - David Daly (Bell's Diner) and Jonathon Mackeson (Bordeaux Quay, Jamie's Italian), Chris' aim was to showcase local, seasonal produce alongside a purely natural and biodynamic wine list, while maintaining the relaxed dining environment that Budokan was known for.

Our verdict was that he's succeeded pretty well. The restaurant itself is warm and welcoming, with a small bar at one end and the open kitchen at the other. I feel at this point that I have to mention the carpet - one of the few things I'd been told by previous diners before I went was that "the carpet is gorgeous". It was indeed, a deep mulberry that added a touch of class that was a little incongruous with the view from the floor to ceiling windows (the Whiteladies Road traffic and half naked men in flats on the other side of the road!)

The menu created by the Coqs is very much the English take on tapas-style dining. At the top of the menus, they  proclaim:

"As chefs we love to try everything, our menu is designed to enable people to eat as we do, by trying several dishes small or large as & when you'd like."

After much deliberation, we decided that this was the way forward: by sharing six small plates (priced between £3.50 and £6) between the three of us, we could have a taste of much of the menu. We were told that the plates would arrive as and when they were cooked, again adding to the informality.

First to arrive were the puy lentils with sweet peppers and roasted beetroot: so good that one of my companions for the evening complimented the chef on this particular dish at the end of the meal, despite not being a fan of lentils. This was swiftly followed by the warm salad of slow roast pork shoulder, fennel, hot & sweet smoked paprika, garlic and sherry...the dish that was definitely the highlight for me. It was accompanied by slightly bitter deep fried slivers of courgette that counteracted the sweetness perfectly: if this is still on the menu when I go back, I'll be having a large portion as a main!

We also ordered the ham hock and leek terrine, served with deliciously vinegary pickled mushrooms, and a plate of cured meats, consisting of smoked duck, serrano ham and red wine cured venison with capers, cornichons and radishes. The black bream with sauteed potatoes and spinach was a little uninspiring, but the baked duck egg with blue cheese and walnut more than made up for the disappointment.

One of my fellow diners and I opted for the selection of British cheeses to end the meal with. Served with biscuits and a sweetly spiced chutney, we were treated to a Dorset cheddar, a Staffordshire goat's cheese, and two Welsh cheeses: the soft Caws Preseli and the strong blue Perl Las. Our other dining companion went down the dessert route: poached rhubarb crumble with rhubarb ice cream. His feedback of "really nice" was about all that we could hope for, as he was obviously concentrating on cleaning his plate rather than helping with the review :)

One comment made to me, by someone who attended the brasserie's opening night, was that the service they received wasn't up to their expectations. My assumption is that this was purely opening night jitters: our waitress was perfectly attentive and did a fantastic job of explaining the dishes as she placed each one on the table.

I'd been told before visiting that the 100% natural, biodynamic wine list was one of the key highlights of the new brasserie. Until I read the Three Coqs website, I had absolutely no idea what biodynamic wines were, but apparently:

As with organic farming, synthetic fertilizers are shunned in favour of natural fertilizers, like organic manure mixed with chamomile flowers, and by using manual methods of keeping insects away. The preparations are applied at appropriate times, in keeping with the rhythms of the seasons. It’s artisan wine making – winemakers who own small vineyards who rely on hard toil and sustainable land to produce better tasting wines. They are more intense yet include unusual flavours, totally unlike mass marketed wines which are chock full of sulphur and other nasty chemicals.

So there you have it. With a biodynamic wine list hand picked by Chris, and day to day running of the restaurant from Jon and Dave, the Three Coqs Brasserie is a welcome addition to the existing foodie haunts of Whiteladies Road. With nothing on the food menu (which, the website claims, will change regularly) costing more than £12, it's an inexpensive way to enjoy an informal and inexpensive yet enjoyable meal in Clifton. We'll definitely be going back for more.

An annual event organised by LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming), Open Farm Sunday is an initiative designed to enable the public to meet farmers in their local area, tour the farms, and understand how they care for the countryside.

June 13th will see over 450 farms across the UK opening their gates to the public. As the Open Farm Sunday website states, it's "one day in the year when everyone gets the chance to understand the true story and value behind their food, and the dedication and skill of farmers who produce it."

The website features a searchable list of participating farms, with maps, contact details, and information as to what a visit to the farm this Sunday will entail. Examples of open farms within driving distance of Bristol include:

• West Bradley Orchards: Home of Orchard Pig cider, these orchards near Glastonbury will host tours and information on how they make their apple juice and cider.
• Grimsbury Farm, Kingswood: Sheep shearing demonstrations, wool spinning opportunties and bird box making make this a great family option.
• Puxton Park, nr Weston: Tours of the milking parlour and milking processes, and tractor and trailer rides.
• Woody's Farm Shop, nr Bath: Includes face painting, a petting centre, a boot sale and bungy football.

There are plenty more farms a little further out - details on the Open Farm Sunday website. Looks like a fantastic opportunity to find out more about farming in and around Bristol!

After the success of last year's event, Clifton's Papadeli have decided to repeat the experience with a further Provençale-themed evening at their Alma Road deli.

For only £40 per head, guests will be treated to a fantastic-looking menu from the South of France, consisting of the following:

“Amuse gueules” with a lavender cocktail “Un petit goût” Tuna Niçoise, pissaladière, tomato & saffron tartlet ****************************** Starter Soupe au pistou – a light Summer vegetable & bean soup with with “pistou” made with basil, garlic and oil Crevettes with citrus and Summer leaf salad

Main Grand aïoli – an opportunity to show off the Summer market’s best. A platter of poached vegetables, chicken and salt cod for dipping into a delicious garlicky mayonnaise

To follow Peaches in sweet wine with almond meringues and crème fraiche ********************************* Goat’s cheese with lavender honey

Vegetarian options are also available.

The night starts at 7.30pm this Friday, June 18th. To book, simply email info@papadeli.co.uk or phone 0117 973 6569

It's now only three weeks to go until the Bristol Wine & Food Fair! Held on the first weekend of July, this three day event on Bristol's Harbourside promises a wealth of entertainment and education for the city's foodies.

This year's theme of "discovery and education" will be served up in a variety of forms, and for a variety of ages. Parents of budding chefs can sign their children up for one of the event's cookery classes, hosted by Bordeaux Quay (tickets must be bought in advance via the Cookery School website), and Creative Kids International will be running a free art and craft area to keep children entertained.

For the adults, it promises to be a busy weekend. Around 90 exhibitors will line up in the food, wine and tasting marquees, giving visitors the chance to try and buy from some of the South West's finest artisan producers. This year, for the first time, these exhibitors will be allowed to sell hot food to the public, giving us the chance to taste more than we would have done before. :)

The Wine and Food Tasting Lecture Theatre does incur extra cost (£8 per session), but gives Fair visitors the chance to attend one of a variety of seated, lectured tastings, involving sampling 6 wines or 7 cheeses or 4 wines with different foods, over the course of 40 minutes. Demand is set to be high for these sessions, so for more details and to book tickets, check the Tasting page on the website.

Those interested in cookery demonstrations may want to visit the Chef's Master Class Theatre, home to free demonstrations from some of the South West's best known chefs, including Freddy Bird (The Lido), Chris Wicks (Bell's Diner), Mark Evans (Cafe Maitreya) and Louise McCrimmon (Harvey Nichols).

Finally, the International Dining Area will see the likes of Papadeli, Hotel du Vin, and the Source Food Hall and Cafe serving up a variety of cuisines to visitors while they relax with live jazz and acoustic music.

Chris Scholes, founder and director of the fair, says,

"This year’s Bristol Wine & Food Fair is going to be even bigger and better than before, with something for everyone from the serious gastronome to families looking for a fun day out."

Tickets are available from the website, and are priced at only £8 for adults in advance. All children under 16 go free with a paying adult. The website also states that they are looking for (paid) stewards for the event, so get in touch if you're keen!

Friday, June 18th saw me booking the day off work and heading into Bath for a Knife Skills and Carving course at The Bertinet Kitchen.

The school was opened in 2005, and is owned and run by French chef Richard Bertinet - a man whose foodie history  includes training as a baker, multiple head chef stints at various restaurants, a time as Operations Director at the Novelli Group, and running his own consultancy for food-related businesses.

The Bertinet Kitchen offers a variety of courses covering a range of different techniques and cuisines, all of which can be seen on the kitchen's website. Courses be booked directly through their website, or via the Buyagift website, which also offers overnight and weekend breaks.

The day began with coffee and toast for the six women and two men who attended. As we were handed our aprons and tasked with introducing ourselves to the rest of the group, it was clear that there was a degree of nervousness from some of the attendees, quickly dispelled by Richard's relaxed, friendly attitude and sense of humour (present as long as we didn't mention France losing their World Cup game the night before...)

Our education commenced with an introduction to various types of kitchen knife and their uses, before being taught how to sharpen them in three different ways: using a steel, a stone and an electric knife sharpener - handy for those who had brought their own knives along to the class and were able to return home with them perfectly sharpened.

After this, the cooking commenced. The class ended with lunch prepared by the attendees, and was designed to incorporate as many different knife skills as possible. We began with slicing apples finely to make individual apple tarts, using puff pastry that had been made earlier on in the day, and continued by preparing vegetables for a chicken casserole: slicing and chopping onions and shallots (something that I'd highlighted at the start as something I struggle with!) and moving on to carrots, tomatoes, celery, mushrooms and garlic. Some of the onions were used in the casserole, the others cooked over a low heat and used to make a pissaladiere - a Provencale pizza topped with onions, anchovies and olives.

Preparation then for our mid-course snack. Given a tray of thinly sliced prune and cardamom bread, we were tasked with taking thin slices from a block of Cheddar and a whole ham, which we placed on top of the bread to make toasties to accompany our coffee.

The afternoon brought with it a variety of different skills. We roasted a chicken, stuffed with a fantastically fragrant lemon and herb butter, before being shown how to joint a raw chicken - the results of which were used in the casserole,along with the vegetables that we had prepared earlier. I very rarely buy whole chickens (and when I do,they're just used for roasting) and I was amazed at how little waste was left once we'd finished.

While the casserole was cooking, we had two more dishes to prepare. Richard demonstrated how to slice a whole side of smoked salmon...and managed not to laugh too much at our attempts to do so! This was served with thinly sliced toasted sourdough bread: again, which we sliced ourselves.

The final dish to prepare was one of mackerel fillets with watercress and an anis and citrus dressing. This was the highlight of the knife training for me: never in my life have I filleted a raw fish, purely because I didn't know how to and assumed that it would be too difficult. Richard's demonstration, however, showed just how simple it was...and I was pretty damn pleased with the mackerel that I filleted myself!

With everything cooked, all that was left was for Richard to show us how to carve a roast chicken, and we all sat down to eat. Having made our apple tarts for dessert, we all had to take them home with us in the end as we'd eaten far too much! With lunch over, we took the opportunity to buy the tools of the trade and to have copies of Richard's latest book signed by the man himself.

This day out in Bath had all the makings of a great foodie course: a friendly and knowledgeable teacher, notes to take home with us to remind us of what we had learned, some new skills with which to impress friends and family, great company, and - of course - great food. I'm now just trying to work out which one to go for next... :)

*************

WIN A SIGNED COPY OF RICHARD'S LATEST BOOK!

Richard has kindly provided me with a signed copy of his latest book, Cook, to offer as a competition prize to Bristol Bites readers.

Published in April this year, the book features 50 classic recipes, aiming to make them as simple and easy to understand as possible. In addition, the book features all sorts of helpful tips for cooks, such as how to thicken a sauce, and which potatoes to use for which purpose.

To enter, simply send an email to bristolbites@googlemail.com, with the subject line "Richard Bertinet Competition", and tell me the year in which Richard opened the Bertinet Kitchen (if you've read this post properly then the answer will be obvious ;) )

The competition will close at midday on Sunday, July 4th, after which time I'll announce the winner...good luck!

Let's hope the current warm spells in Bristol continue into next week...because how better to cool down than with homemade ice cream?

On Thursday, July 1st, The Kings Arms on Clifton's Whiteladies Road will be hosting an ice cream tasting session, organised by tasting group Lionsdrinkbellinis. The event has been organised on the back of a similar session that took place last year, and will features eight unique ice cream flavours, each created by Todd Francis of the Kings Arms.

The Lionsdrinkbellinis website is requesting suggestions for ice cream flavours, so if there's something that you're keen to try, then it may be worth getting in touch!

The tasting session starts at 7.30pm on the evening of July 1st, with tickets costing just £12 per person. For details of how to book, visit the "Book Your Place" page on the LDB website (payment via online bank transfer or Paypal).

Held on the corner of Apsley Road on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of every month, the revamped market is a chance to buy a variety of local produce, including bread, cheese, meat, fish, cakes, pottery, flowers, jam, chutney, pies, baskets and herbs!

The main aim of the relaunch is to add a social aspect to the shopping experience: a social aspect which, from Saturday, will include regular live music, a market cafe and activities that will appeal to the whole family. The launch date will feature plenty that will appeal to children, including growing workshops, face painting, a singalong with a local musician, and the chance to meet some of the livestock from Cotswold Edge Farm.

In addition, you'll have the chance to grab some food from the market's barbecue, or join Sophie at the Mullion Cove stall for one of her home made cream teas!

The market is open from 8.30am till 2pm on Saturday, so there's plenty of time to enjoy both this and the Wine & Food Fair...let's just hope the weather holds out...

Slightly short notice, I'm afraid, but I only found out the full details today!

If you're in town tomorrow for St Paul's Carnival or the Bristol Wine & Food Fair, it's also worth popping over to Surrey Street's Bristol Cider House for an hour or two.

Previously The Surrey Wine Vaults, the Cider House was opened last year and is one of Bristol's quieter venues for cider lovers. Despite already having a wide variety of ciders both on tap and bottled, including Broadoak, Thatchers and Black Rat, owners Charlie and Tracey will be playing host to a range of other ciders for customers to try.

One that I've been told will be on the list is Moonshine: a cider that I tried for the first time at the Bristol Cider Festival earlier this year and haven't managed to find since. At 7.5% it's a deceptive strong but very sweet cider, and unusual in that it is almost completely clear in colour.

With over 15 ciders available to try, we'll definitely be heading over that way at some point during the day. The festival starts at 12, and finishes whenever the cider runs out - I suggest getting there sooner rather than later... :)

Despite the rain, last Sunday proved to be a popular day for this year's Bristol Wine & Food Fair, with a huge number of people flocking to Bristol's Harbourside to enjoy the end of a three day celebration of fine wine and good food.

In addition to a variety of local and national companies selling their wares (and offering the obligatory tastings...), the weekend featured an international dining area, Bristol's Young Chef 2010 competition, live music, wine and food matching lectures and the latest installment of Bristol's Secret Service Supper Club.

Unfortunately we didn't manage to make it to any of the events in the lecture theatre, but we enjoyed a busy day of catching up with foodies we already knew, discovering suppliers and producers we'd never heard of, tasting lots of amazing foods and drinks, and (as our bank balances are showing...) leaving the Fair with bulging bags full of purchases.

Highlights for us included:

• Some fantastic cocktails (blackcurrant vodka and apple juice, and cider brandy with apple juice) from The Orchard Pig
• The BBQ poussin cooked up by Simon at Papadeli
• A delicious lamb kofta salad box from the kofta bar run by The Real Olive Company
• Tastings of a Smokey Margarita, created using Lahloo Smokey in conjunction with The Rummer
• The discovery of some seriously good ice creams from Mendip Moments (our favourites were Strawberries and Clotted Cream, and Clotted Cream with Honeycomb)
• And finally, a caffeine boost from Extract Coffee Roasters, without whom I doubt I'd have managed over four hours at the fair...

For one day only, the dockside will be transformed into a quintessential English village fayre, complete with food and drink, stalls and games. Enjoy loose leaf teas, cucumber sandwiches, cakes, cheeses and wines while attempting to Splat the Rat or playing croquet, and enjoy browsing stalls selling things such as handmade children's toys and vintage china.

The Glassboat is fast becoming known for its dockside events, which to date include cheese, chocolate and fish festivals. Head down to Welsh Back between 10am and 4pm tomorrow to soak up the atmosphere...and head to the Glassboat for brunch, served between 12 and 4, if you get peckish!

Following the success of the tasting session held on the Grain Barge a few months back, Bristol Beer Factory have decided to host another tasting and pairing evening, this time at their brewery in Southville.

This latest event sees the brewery teaming up once again with Trethowan's Dairy and Mark's Bread, meaning an evening of artisan cheeses such as Trethowan's Gorwydd Caerphilly, speciality breads, and some new beers from Bristol Beer Factory which include their Mountain Goat IPA and a German-style wheat beer. The tasting session includes developing an understanding of how the three can be successfully paired, as well as an introduction and education to the produce from the cheese maker, baker and brewer.

The event will be held on Monday, July 19th, at the Bristol Beer Factory Brewery on North Street, Southville. Starting at 7.30pm, the tickets cost £25 per person, and include a tour of both the Bristol Beer Factory and Mark's Bread, which is conveniently located on the same road.

Tickets are available from the Bristol Beer Factory on 0117 902 6317, or for card payments, call Trethowan's Dairy on 07590 960 329 or visit their shop at St Nick's Market.

Saturday and Sunday (July 17th and 18th) will see Bristol's waterfront playing host to Grillstock: the UK's first ever US-style barbecue competition and food show. The two-day show will see up to 150 people competing for the coveted "King of the Grill" title across six categories, including Best Chicken and Best BBQ Sauce. The team with the highest score across all categories - as voted by the show's visitors - will take the title and go on to represent the UK at the World Championship Barbecue Competition in Memphis next year.

The festival will also include over 130 stands offering food, drink and cooking equipment, live music, cookery demonstrations and the Grillstock BBQ Academy. In addition, the festival has teamed up with  the Fiery Foods Roadshow UK, exhibiting the UK's best chilli companies and featuring a chilli eating contest.

Advance purchase tickets are £4 per day or £6.50 for the weekend, with tickets on the gate priced at £5 and £8 respectively. Children under 16 will be admitted free of charge, but must be accompanied by an adult. For more information and to buy tickets, check out the Grillstock website.

If you think you'll still be hungry on Saturday night after Grillstock, get in touch with local foodie Sam of The Daydream Kitchen and head on down to Southville for the latest Southville Supper Club evening. Sam will be serving a six course tasting menu from 7pm this Saturday, featuring:

Chilled beetroot soup with broad bean ice cream

Terrine, toast and pickled onions

Beetroot cured mackerel, pickled cucumber and horseradish mousse

Calves liver, onion mash and broad beans

Elderflower ice

Summer trifle and brittle

All Sam asks in return is a donation of £20 per head - head over to the blog post for details of how to make a reservation.

Grillstock will still be in full swing on Sunday for those who don't make it the day before, but it's also time for the next installment of the Love Food Festival...described by Lorna as a "massive summer food party". Head on down to Paintworks between 10.30am and 4pm on the 18th for a huge indoor food and drink market, a herb garden with a range of varieties to buy, a children's activity area and a DJ. This time round, the outdoor picnic area will play host to the Cotswold Edge BBQ, Tom's Pies, the Source shellfish bar, local ales and ciders and a children's cafe.

The perfect weekend for my food-obsessed little sister to be coming to Bristol to visit me, methinks!

I'm sure it's not just my friends and I who have been using the recent sunny spell as an excuse to have as many barbecues as possible. And I'm sure it's not just my friends and I who are getting a little bored of barbecueing the same things, week in, week out.

I think this may all be about to change after seeing an advert in July's issue of Area Magazine. Welsh Back-based Indian restaurant Myristica are now offering a barbecue range: a selection of marinated Indian meats and fish that can be taken home and prepared on the barbecue.

Their barbecue selection costs £7.50 per person, with a minimum order of four people. Their 4 person box includes one each of lamb kebabs, lamb chops, fish kebabs, chicken tikka and garlic chicken kebabs, plus two dips. Vegetarian options such as veggie skewers and paneer are available on request. All of the meats are pre-marinated and ready just to put on the barbecue and cook.

Orders can then be collected from their restaurant on Welsh Back or delivered to your door - free of charge if you live within a 3 mile radius, or for £10 if you live further away. They do need 24 hours' notice before collection/delivery, so bear this in mind when ordering!

Clifton Village's Arch House Deli are continuing their run of tasting sessions in a few weeks' time, with an olive oil tasting session taking place on Saturday, August 21st.

This session follows the success of the deli's previous olive oil tasting back in May, and will once again feature produce from the Spanish Oro del Desierto - a family-owned business in Almeria, southern Spain who produce a range of 100% organic extra virgin olive oils. The oil stocked on Arch House's shelves is a blend of three varieties of olive, and has gained the accolade of Best Medium Intensity Olive Oil in the World in the L’Extravergine Guide to Olive Oils - a guide compiled by Italian olive oil guru Marco Oreggia, and featuring over 3000 different oils from 35 countries.

The tastings are free of charge, and will be available from 11am to 3pm on the Saturday...pop down and say hello :)

If you're in the Redland area on Wednesday lunchtime, head down to natural food shop Wild Oats to join local Cornish food specialists Mullion Cove for a tea and fairings tasting session.

A regular at the Whiteladies Road Farmers' Market, Mullion Cove's Sophie Bowden is "devoted to sourcing the finest products currently made in Cornwall by small producers", including charcuterie, sea salt, conserves, honey and apple juice.

This Wednesday's tasting session will feature Mullion Cove's handmade organic butter fairings - Cornish biscuits made to a traditional recipe and using locally sourced ingredients including Cornish honey. The fairings are a big hit on the Mullion Cove market stall, and will be accompanied on Wednesday by free samples of Cornish tea from the Tregothnan Estate near Truro - producers of what they believe to be the first English tea ever to be grown in England.

Mullion Cove will be at Wild Oats between 11am and 2pm on Wednesday...pop in and say hello if you're in the area :)

It's only two weeks until Clifton's Papadeli host their next evening tasting session - this time a celebration of Tuscan wines.

The session will be held from 7.30pm on Tuesday, September 21st, and will be an educational evening which gives customers the chance to taste a range of wines from Tuscany for only £30 per head.

In addition to finding out more about the region and the wines that you'll be sampling, you'll have the chance to sample some of the fantastic Italian produce sold by the deli, including:

"robiola, pecorino, tallegio, gorgonzola, parma ham, buffalo mozzarella, finochiona, milano, napoli, taralli, pane carasau, crostini, chicken liver, pesto, aubergine caviar, caponata, bruschetta"

If this Italian-themed evening appeals, simply call the deli on 0117 973 6569 to book your place.

It's going to be a busy weekend for food. Not only do we have the Organic Food Festival on the 11th and 12th, but Clifton will also be welcoming another new deli to its fold.

Family-owned Munch Deli is a name already known in nearby Weston, but owners Stefan and Sharon Carlin are going back to their roots and opening a second deli in Clifton, where they lived for 10 years.

They have taken over what used to be Carwardine's, off the top of Park Street, to sell a range of locally sourced food including coffee, cake, sandwiches, ciabatta and a range of store cupboard essentials. The deli shop will also offer a selection of hampers, and also plans to offer outside catering.

After a private launch on Friday 10th, the deli will be open to the public on Saturday, September 11th, with opening hours of 7.30am - 7pm Monday to Saturday, and 10am - 4pm on Sundays.

It's also worth picking up a copy of Clifton Life magazine if you're a fan of freebies, as there are details in the August issue of how to claim a free drink from Munch... :)

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Head down to the Harbourside on Saturday or Sunday for this year's Organic Food Festival - Bristol's annual celebration of organic food and drink, as well as natural health and beauty products, fashion and textiles.

£5 per ticket (£8 for the weekend, or free if you're a Soil Association member) will give you access to over 150 organic food and drink producers, live music, demos from celebrity chefs, stalls selling health, beauty and textile products, organic gardening advice and products, as well as a range of entertainment for children. This year also sees the launch of the new Organic Masterclass Theatre: a series of workshops across both days, covering themes such as butchery demos, chocolate tastings, bread making and wine and cheese pairing.

The festival takes place this Saturday from 10am to 6pm, and on Sunday from 10am to 5pm, with tickets available on the gate...just head down to Millennium Square to buy.

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Today is also the day of the latest Thornbury Food Fair, which is taking place between 10am and 2pm on Castle Street and The Plain. Organised by Thornbury Chamber of Commerce, this is one of four food fairs that Thornbury host each year, in addition to their regular farmers' markets.

Hot food and refreshments are available, along with produce from regular farmers' market stallholders and those who are regulars at Bristol's Slow Food Market. Past stallholders include the likes of Mullion Cove, The Hamptons Deli, Tytherington Road Nursery and Bramley and Gage - head down there today to see who's there this time around...

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Finally, an event that's not in Bristol itself, but is hosted by a company that is well-known to Bristolians. The Orchard Pig, a cider and apple juice maker based near Glastonbury, are holding their first ever Apple Scrumping Day at their orchards in West Bradley. This Sunday, from 10am to 5pm, the orchard will be open for people to pick their own fruit to be juiced for them by the lovely people at The Orchard Pig, for a small fee. For more information, head down to the orchard or give them a call, using the following details:

Having had to go back to London this weekend, I missed my good friend Laura's birthday celebrations. I was able to contribute a little, however, by helping her lunchtime dining companion to choose a restaurant for a birthday meal.

Luckily, the recommendation paid off, and Laura was so happy with her trip to Clifton Village's Prosecco that she decided to write a guest review for me...thanks Laura! :)

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Last Saturday, I was lucky enough to visit Prosecco for a surprise birthday lunch. Having heard several rave reviews from friends, I was keen to see if the rumours were true. Conclusion = definitely!

Prosecco is a homely and welcoming restaurant in the heart of Clifton Village, specialising in authentic Italian cuisine. The secret of its success, according to our lovely waiter, is that by offering a smaller menu they ensure that all the food is made by hand and is really fresh – nothing’s microwaved in this restaurant!

Many of the pasta dishes and antipasti can be ordered as either a starter or as a main. We therefore decided to share a few dishes so we could experience more of the menu.

Whilst I was erring towards the delicious-sounding homemade chicken liver pate, our waiter highly recommended the fish antipasti. Not being a great fan of fish, I decided to be brave and hope for the best! Luckily for me, it was out of this world. The dish arrived with slices of smoked halibut topped with crostini smothered in langoustine pate. The halibut was delicious and not overwhelming smoked, whilst the creamy langoustine pate was melt-in-the-mouth.

Next up was a starter size of Prosecco’s ravioli - three huge ravioli, stuffed with crab, bathing in a saffron and cream sauce. The flavour of the crab partnered perfectly with the saffron cream sauce, which was wonderfully creamy yet not heavy.

As our main dish, we opted for the king prawn linguine with a brandy and tomato sauce. For those of you who are squeamish like me, make sure you take a friend that’s willing to de-shell them! The prawns were succulent and tasty, whilst the sauce was almost spicy with the heat of the brandy. Probably my favourite dish of the entire meal, but not the best dish to share due to the splashings of tomato sauce across the table….. As a side dish, we had to try the ‘Chips like my Grandma used to make’. A generous bowl of golden brown chips arrived: beautifully crunchy on the outside, yet soft and fluffy in the middle. I wonder if Grandma would like to adopt me?!!

Finally, we absolutely had to try some dessert! We plumped for the coconut panna cotta with Malibu and ice cream, and the tiramisu. From the amazingly extensive wine list, we decided to try some dessert wines. Bergerac Moelleux 2006 Cuvée Dalmain to accompany the panna cotta, and a Marsala which was recommended as an accompaniment to the tiramisu. The panna cotta was delicious and accompanied by shavings of coconut. The tiramisu was made the authentic Italian way, with no soggy sponge at the bottom; pure, foamy, light and delicious with just the right amount of coffee.

The whole dining experience left me grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Prosecco tends to attract more evening than lunchtime diners, and, on this occasion, we were the only couple in the restaurant, leaving me feeling like a celebrity. I had to resist the urge to go out onto the street and preach to the unconverted to come and try the food! The restaurant gets extremely busy in the evenings, so you definitely need to book in advance. Please do try this amazing restaurant if you can – it’s now my firm favourite in Bristol and I can’t wait to go back again!

Many thanks to our waiter who was extremely attentive and friendly, and also to our amazingly talented chef who we met on our way out. Keep up the great work guys!

Drinking rather than dining for this blog post, as it's only a few days until a weekend featuring two beverage-related festivals in Bristol.

Saturday, September 18th sees the first ever Barley Mow Beer Festival. The Dings-based Bristol Beer Factory pub will be offering a choice of 10 real ales and 4 ciders between 12pm and 12am on Saturday, and has also organised a "chilli cook off" for the afternoon, using vegetables from the pub's courtyard garden.

Entertainment comes in the form of three live bands - The Smokestack Shakers, The Nurdlers, and The Modern Gypsy Jazz Trio.

Drinks vouchers are already available and are priced at £5 for five half pints - head down to the pub, situated on Barton Road, to buy them in advance.

If you favour apples over hops, it may be worth paying a visit to the Full Moon Cider Festival on Saturday 18th or Sunday 19th September. The Stokes Croft-based Full Moon will be home to "a celebration of organic and locally produced cider" for the weekend, with around 20 different ciders rumoured to be on offer.

The festival will also have the obligatory barbecue, and live music from Los Mercenarios on Saturday, and Whiskey Drifters and Grupo Ritmo on Sunday.

All we need to do now is hope that the weather holds out... :)

Alice Hart. The youngest ever food editor at Waitrose Food Illustrated. Brain behind The Hart and Fuggle pop-up restaurant last year. A Leiths graduate who has cheffed for Tom Kim and Sussex's Griffin Inn...and now the author of one of the most recent publications in Quadrille's "New Voices In Food" series.

As Hart points out in the introduction, "this isn't principally a book of everyday food". Her aim is to encourage her generation (Hart is still in her 20s) to fit cooking the food they enjoy into their lifestyles, and this is reflected in the recipe groupings in the book, which are divided into menus for a variety of occasions. A wintry Sunday lunch, for example, includes roast duck with prunes and chestnuts, and an "Autumn film night for eight" will see you preparing, among other things, parmesan and pepper popcorn and toffee-almond pears.

The cover blurb tells us that Hart's "pride and joy is Myrtle the Hurtle, a beautiful 1972 VW camper van with kitchen, who takes Alice on adventures to gather recipes"...and as a result, chapter two covers off "Picnics, Camper Vans and Happy Camping", with menus grouped into occasions such as "camping by the woods" (Staffordshire oatcakes with ham and gruyere, woodland hash with a fried egg on top, stickiest gingerbread) and an "indoor picnic for a rainy summer's day" (roll your own Saigon salad rolls, black rice and charred prawn salad, Thai-style peanut sauce, passionfruit slice).

Each recipe is written informally but comprehensively, with alternative options suggested for twists on many of the ideas contained in the book, and practical hints on timing a meal and scaling quantities either up or down. In addition, Hart has included several extras in the form of "quick ideas" for breakfasts, packed lunches, suppers and many more.

Alice's Cookbook is available for the RRP of £14.99, and can be purchased from Amazon.

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If you fancy winning a copy (I have one to give away)...simply email bristolbites@googlemail.com by midday on Sunday, October 3rd, with "Alice's Cookbook Competition" as the subject, and answer the following question:

"What is the name of Alice's VW camper van?"

Winner will be announced on the blog, Facebook and Twitter after the closing date...good luck :)