MARCH 2023 – FIVE FOODIE MUST HAVES
This is March’s five foodie must-haves, brought to you by Velvet magazine
Eat It
Popeyes UK – Cambridge
Famed for the signature ‘shatter crunch’ coating on its Louisiana-style wings and tenders – marinated for 12 hours before being hand-battered in buttermilk, breadcrumbed and fast-fried – all-American chicken chain Popeyes has arrived in Cambridge.
Opening on Market Hill last month, with free food for the first in the queue and live Mardi Gras music from the city’s own Brass Funkeys, the restaurant is serving all the Popeyes classics, including the cult-status chicken ‘sandwich’, a soft brioche bun filled with fried breast, pickles and mayo, with sides of Southern-style biscuits and gravy.
The menu also includes meat-free options – see Popeyesuk.com
Order It
Bread by Neil
If their names are anything to go by – The Don, The Bastard, The Umami, Pumpernickel’s Cousin – Neil Adcock’s sourdoughs are one of a kind. Made in his newly converted microbakery, housed in his Ely home and garden, the loaves have been honed over 20 years of hobby baking, with Neil finally deciding to go pro and launch Bread by Neil this month.
“I have a special affection for really good sourdough,” explains Neil, whose polymathic past professions include research scientist, philosopher and graphic designer. “It’s bread in its oldest and simplest form, made from three simple ingredients – flour, salt and water.”
Orders are being taken from March 27 at breadbyneil.co.uk
Shop It
Meadows Cambridge
Meadows, the neighbourhood ‘kitchen, cheesemonger and bottle shop’ in Newnham, has just opened the doors to a second site in the city. Located at Dutch’s Corner, 213 Mill Road, it promises “the same Meadows offering of sustainable food, drink, homeware and books,” says founder Suzannah Watson.
“We are also putting our own Meadows-made produce under a brighter spotlight, bringing our ready-to-eat cakes, bakes, soups, salads, ferments and preserves to the Mill Road neighbourhood. As well as having a couple of tables where people can enjoy our produce day to day, we aim to host talks, tastings and pop-up collaborations.”
Visit meadowscambridge.com and follow @meadows_camb
Bake It
Mr Pistachio Pie
British Pie Week falls this month – an excuse, as if it were needed, to get your mitts on new cookbook Get Baked and make every sweet treat in the pies section (notably Mr Pistachio, pictured, a toasted waffle crust filled with pistachio ganache and topped with raspberry mallow, ie heaven in a 12in tin). Written by Rich ‘Mr Sprinkles’ Myers, founder of the famed Get Baked bakery, the book contains the secrets of all the brand’s signatures, which, along with the pies, include Raspberry Glazed Donut Cookies, Peanut & Caramel
Brownies and Bruce, a giant 24-layer chocolate cake.
Get Baked by Rich Myers is out this month, published by White Lion and priced £14.99
Dine It
Little Rose Cambridge
A new chapter has begun for The Little Rose, the historic public house which has been part of the Cambridge streetscape since the 1830s. Most recently home to the city’s branch of Loch Fyne, it has been refurbished inside and out to the tune of six figures, to both highlight its period features and add contemporary creature comforts – snug seating, warm timbered walls and soft lighting all feature.
Fresh seafood – including Colchester rock oysters, pan-fried sea bass and smoked mackerel arancini – remains a menu mainstay, with all-bells-and-whistles roast dinners taking centre-plate on Sundays.
To find out more and to book visit littlerosecambridge.com
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