someone who's doing some things
What is says on the tin. I love food. Ok, not all foods, but I do like lots of different cuisines.
This is a lovely way to celebrate advent. A different coffee every day. So far these have been rather lovely coffees. Normally I grind my own beans each day, beans that I get from Pact Coffee, who make this advent calendar, and I would thoroughly recommend their products.
Over the next few days, in the run up to Christmas, you may hear some some about these coffees.
This might sound stupid and perhaps it is, but I thought I would write about some of the alternatives to the original cola that I have tried. A couple of which were quite recent.
I always try to sample different things when I travel (not just cola to be clear), and whilst in Scotland recently I tried these too. The bona cola was not to my taste at all. In fact, I would characterise it as fairly horrible. The Karma Cola on the other hand was quite good. Not the best, but good and I would happily have it again.
Fritz-Cola was really good. I had this in Berlin a few years ago. Sadly I haven’t been back to Germany since, but I would gladly have it again.
One variation that I miss a great deal is Dalston’s Cola. That was lovely, but unfortunately now discontinued. So I have to content myself with Fentiman’s Curiosity Cola, which is lovely.
I have been to knoops before, back in 2018. The hot chocolate was amazing. Both excellent and very different. As I was back in Rye just last weekend I thought I would pop in and try it again. I looked up the knoops website and was interested to find out that there are now four stores. The one in Rye is still there, but there are a couple in London and another opening soon. When I had visited a few years ago I had no idea it would franchise out into a chain. Somehow that just didn’t seem very likely.
But I was wrong. Now knoops is a chain and the Rye shop is just one of the outlets. But, most importantly, was the hot chocolate any good? The short answer, yes, it was. It was very good, but there was one thing missing. Something not as it was back in 2018. When I had originally visited the Rye shop was run by the owner and he was brilliant at explaining everything about the different percentages of cocoa and what that meant.
This time round it was just like going to any other chain. Perhaps a bit nicer, but it didn’t have that local feel, that independent feel. I guess that is the price you pay for things expanding. The loss of the personal touch. The loss of that feel of something truly unique.
Knoops is still good though. The hot chocolate is still good, and I would still recommend it to anyone who likes hot chocolate.
The last time I went to Beyond the Border I discovered these. That was back in 2014. I’ve waited two years to have the pleasure again, and it was worth the wait.
I’d hoped that these would be available again at Beyond the Border, and they were, possibly one of the best foods I’ve ever had. The amazing Onion Bhajee Scotch Egg. Believe me when I say that there is truly nothing better at all.
I ate quite a few of these last weekend and I love them so much that I ended up bringing home a box load of them. They’re awesome.
Now when can I get them again?
It’s been a couple of years since I was on the Rail Ale train. It’s a lovely evening on the bluebell railway in Sussex and well worth trying out if you’ve never been. The format is simple. Steam train + Real Ale + Sausage and Mash supper + Jazz band. Easy.
The atmosphere is lovely, especially if you have a really nice sunny evening to enjoy as well. The crowd is all there to have a good time and enjoy the beers, of which there were many, and all good in terms of those I managed to sample.
It isn’t the cheapest evening out, but as an occasional outing it’s well worth the money, and of course, as the Bluebell railway is a charity I don’t begrudge them the cash.
My favourite ale of the evening was called “Piston Broke”, which seemed apt in some ways for a pleasant evening of beer and music.
A great night out all in all.
Yeah, I didn’t believe that they were for real either. But they are, and they taste amazing! I got one at the Beyond the Border festival this weekend, which is a great place to be by the way.
Not sure about the spelling of Bhajee though.
I admit to having high hopes for these. Most chilli flavour crisps are a sad let down so I envisaged something really good with the packet’s description of “fiery hot”. Sadly, I was to be disappointed. The crisps were a real let down. Slightly hot is the best description I could give them.
Oh how I miss those bags and their contents too. It was a good time.
But it’s very nice too.
I had no idea what this was until I tried it. Thanks to Sebastian from Audanika for treating me in Berlin station. Wouldn’t want to have left without trying it out!
I am Ashley Elsdon 