Bath Chef v Chef Competition 2009

When we were asked to join this annual competition as a joint sponsor then it was with a little bit of nostalgia that prompted us to agree. It was over twenty years ago that I attended the City of Bath College on a BTEC Diploma in Hotel, Catering and Institutional Operations - a long winded name for covering a bit of every aspect of catering but with no real expertise in any particular field. Halcyon days of youth, with not a care in the world and believing you know everything. I have always wondered where all my class mates of 1983 ended up and if any of them stayed in catering.

The Bath Chef v Chef competition is a very serious affair indeed -allowing young chefs to feature classical and innovative kitchen skills in their search for culinary excellence.The City of Bath and surrounding areas have a magnitude of fine restaurants and dining experiences to explore, where many students have embarked on their careers in the hospitality industry, often being the protégés for the next generation.

The judges include Gary Jones, Head Chef Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons and Martin Blunos, Chef consultant, TV celebrity (fellow Bristol City supporter) - with the results being announced on Wednesday 18th February.

We hope and pray that a long line of accomplished chefs emerge through the City of Bath Catering College, providing new blood to an ever increasingly important industry for the local area.

MAD AS A HATTER - Costieres de Nimes 'Hippolyte'

We always welcome enthusiasm for our wines, whether it be from one of our tasting groups, a regular customer or from a sommelier at one of the restaurants that we supply throughout the country. However when the clip from Gary Vaynerchuk was brought to our attention we could not question his energy, enthusiasm nor passion for wine - worth watching for entertainment value alone - Costieres de Nimes is a wine producing area that delivers real value for money for the quality of wine produced - and the domaine Chateau Grande Cassagne is featured as our 'Domaine of the Month' for February 2009. The wine that stirs the presenter of tv winelibrary to such estatic heights is the top wine from this estate ' Hippolyte' - well worth a visit.

A fAREWELL TO 2008

A Farewell to 2008….


Looking back on a year that has presented many challenges through a weakening pound and the doom and gloom painted via the media should be a depressing focus. However 2008 for the Tasting Room proved to be a succesful year on many fronts – this is fast approaching our fifth year since our location in Larkhall. How time flies when you’re enjoying yourself!

The Tasting Room opened solely as a retail shop with the facility to taste before you purchased a single bottle or more. This is still very much the focus with a range of wines from France, Italy, Spain, Australia and New Zealand starting at £5.95, providing for the local community and beyond.

However the launch of a new internet site in 2006 provided a new and exciting opportunity of individual and group wine tastings – those of you who may have passed by on a Saturday afternoon and seen a bevy of beautiful girls enjoying such a tasting session may have questioned how such a job could be obtained. It is this area of wine tastings that has seen such a boom in the last year with parties booking tastings as celebrations, family get togethers, birthdays or corporate rewards for staff providing a fun night out with a difference.

The coming year will see these tastings develop through popular demand into the field of whisky – we will be holding a whisky tasting on a quarterly basis. The next scheduled tasting is on Thursday 12th February or alternatively the option is there to get a small group of like minded friends together and book yourself a whisky tasting of your own.

We hope that the coming year will be as succesful as the last in a time of economic uncertainty – our message is to enjoy a little of what you like with friends who will appreciate you and your wine.


Forthcoming Tasting Evenings:

February 2009
Thursday 12th -Whisky Tasting £25.00 a head

March 2009
Thursday 12th - Tasting 3, £40.00 a head
Thursday 11th - Tasting 2, £25.00 a head, /Members Free

Tasting Room Wine Membership – Yearly subscription £35.00