I never really thought there was such a thing as a free lunch (or dinner) but it turns out there is, thanks to the generosity of newly opened 'Thai Street Food' restaurant Thaikhun. This week they hosted a pre-opening press and blogger event which I was lucky enough to attend..free food, you say? And it's Thai? Oh, okay then...
So on Thursday evening myself and a friend found ourselves on a train to Bath for an early supper in Bath's attractive Southgate Quarter. Literally moments from the train station, Thaikhun occupies a nice spot close to one of the city's prime retail areas, making it the perfect venue for a pre or post shopping pit stop.
Although part of a small chain (there are branches across the UK, from Aberdeen to Guildford) the place does have an authentic street food feel about it - it's sort of like a Thai equivalent of Wahaca. And - just as Wahaca has a buzzy, vibrant vibe - Thaikhun is all about taking classic Thai motifs and themes and funking them up with contemporary touches. If you like your restaurant setting to really draw your eye around the room, Thaikhun will more than please your aesthetic sensibilities.
It's full of cool and interesting features, from a bank of old TVs stacked along a wall to ceilings hung with metal signs, bird cages, silk umbrellas and colourful tin trays. I'd imagine it's no easy task to replicate the feeling of a Thai street market, but Thaikhun does a pretty good job of making you feel like you've been transported to the Khao San Road for the evening (minus the humidity, thankfully...)
Sadly we missed the restaurant blessing, carried out by real-life Buddhist monks, but we did get a taste of the friendly hospitality that comes as standard when you're travelling in Thailand. The staff were lovely, greeting us in traditional Thai style...I was immediately transported back to the amazing hotel we stayed in on Koh Samui back in 2002.
And then I spotted some buckets and the memory of drinking massive vats of Red Bull mixed with a variety of alcohol was brought sharply into focus...thankfully the buckets served at Thaikhun are a bit more palatable and a lot less nausea-inducing than the ones I remember putting away on our holiday in Thailand. At Thaikhun you can choose from a variety of sharing buckets, priced at £13 each, including the appropriately named 'Full Moon' (a mix of vodka, fruit liqueurs and Midori), a Phi Phi Bellini and the signature Thaikhun (our choice), which was delicious and dispelled any bad memories of previous bucket drinking experiences.
Anyway, the food. I haven't had proper Thai food for a long time so I'd kind of forgotten just how good it can be. I've not found a particularly good Thai restaurant in Bristol yet (oh hey, Thaikhun owners...you could, y'know, open in Bristol?!) so I was exceptionally excited about getting my chops around some good Pad Thai and perhaps a chicken satay skewer or two. My dining companion was also excited - she likes Thai food too, but due to her other half's peanut allergy, it's not really their go-to cuisine when it comes to eating out. So, a rare treat for both of us and we weren't disappointed.
Our starters of Gai Satay and Tod Man Pla (Thai fish cakes, to you and me) were exceptional - really, really good, with just the right amount of heat and peanut in the accompanying sauces. Generous portions and lovely presentation - how cute are those little enamel cups! - were the icing on the cake.
For mains, I couldn't resist something noodle based but decided to eschew my go-to dish of Pad Thai for something a little more adventurous. The Sukiyaki Noodles didn't disappoint though I did need to have a few mouthfuls to acclimatise to the heat - billed as relatively mild on the spice (there's a handy key on the menu to help you judge the spiciness of each dish) it definitely fulfilled its symbol rating...but in a good way. The chicken in the dish was cooked to perfection and nestled in a lovely mountain of glass noodles, flavoured with bean curd, pickled garlic and seasoned oils.
My friend had an equally good Chili Garlic Prawns with a side of the most delicious sticky rice, topped with coconut cream, a beautiful compliment to temper the spice in the fish.
By this point we were onto our second sharing bucket so dessert seemed inevitable (all my willpower to resist sugar goes out of the window after a couple of drinks) although we were very good and had one to share. Our first choice was off the menu, sadly - seriously, who wouldn't want to dive into a 'Thai Bounty' (chocolate fondant with coconut ice cream)?! A gluten-free chocolate tart made a pleasant alternative, though I think if I'd not been quite so stuffed by this point the Banana Waffles with Vanilla Pod Ice-cream would have been my preferred choice. Also on the dessert menu are some exotic ice cream and sorbet options - toasted coconut, matcha green tea and chocolate chili, for example - as wall as intriguing desserts such as Mango Sticky Rice and Thai Waffles.
If you're dining with little ones, there's also a children's menu, plus a staff member assured us that dietary requirements - like my friend's husband's aforementioned nut allergy - can be catered for. To be honest, we were pretty glad we didn't have kids or husbands in tow that evening...sharing our bucket for two and soaking up the vibe, it almost felt like we were having a short but sweet little Thai holiday, away from our normal lives, for the evening. And if that isn't a good enough reason to visit Thaikhun, I'm not sure what is...
You can find out more about Thaikhun and take a look at menus, locations and photos here. Thaikhun Bath is located at Little SouthGate, Bath, BA1 1AQ.
With many thanks to Thaikhun Bath and Elliots Agency. I attended a free blogger/press event but have not been paid for writing this post and all opinions are my own!
For reasons I'll never know, I have only just had my first experience of Ibiza. I've been reading about, dreaming about and mythologising this place since, oh, about 1990, so it's only taken me 26 years to get there. From hungrily reading about the Ibizan club scene in The Face magazine back in the late '80s to devouring virtually every Ibizan-based Instagram account out there, I've been mesmerised by the idea of the White Isle for most of my adult life.
But as a natural pessimist who always expects everything to fall short of expectation, part of the reason it's taken me so long to is that I didn't want my gilded idea of Ibiza to be ruined by what could possibly be a less romantic reality. And then it became really expensive. And then we had kids and, well, you know how it goes.
Anyway, one miserable day in January, an idle internet search threw up the perfect combination of reasonable flights and reasonable accommodation and a summer holiday was booked. I'd already done some research into where to stay and had picked up tips from friends, including old timers who've been going for years and know the ins and outs of the island. And all those hours gazing longingly at Instagram gave me a good grounding in the geography of the place and helped me put together a loose travel itinerary.
We stayed in the east of the island, just outside the resort of Santa Eularia, and were very happy with our self-catering apartment at the Siesta Mar complex. The staff were lovely, it was very clean and well maintained, with a fantastic pool that was literally steps from our accommodation. We had convenient parking and could walk into Santa Eularia, with a mini supermarket just across the road and larger supermarkets a short drive away.
While I found Santa Eularia itself a bit too commercialised for my tastes, it's not an unpleasant resort and has some superb restaurants and cafes, as well as a nice marina and sandy beach. But with lots of other more authentic places on our doorstep, we didn't spend much time here, aside from picking up breakfast at a fantastic bakery on the main street and dropping by the Pacha shop.
Hiring a car is a must if you want to experience the more authentic side of the island. Enchanted by all those images of beautiful instagrammers wafting round the hippy markets and swimming in deserted coves, I wanted a piece of the action so we made the very most of our car, driving North, South and inland to experience its different personalities. Near to our resort we found some lovely beaches - Cala Pada and Cala Llenya, both about 10-15 minute drive, were particular favourites.
For August they never felt too crowded and delivered on clear, calm swimming waters. It's true what they say about the Ibizan beaches - they're perfect for families with many enjoying shallow, safe swimming conditions for little ones.
We loved every beach we visited, including the idyllic and part nudist Aiguas Blancas, the stunning little cove of Cala d'en Serra and the mythical Benirras, THE place to watch the sun go down in the North of the island. I'm not one for spiritual experiences but if I was going to have a spiritual experience anywhere, watching the sun dip into the sea at Benirras might be the most likely place this would happen.
Inland, we enjoyed visiting the lovely villages of Santa Gertrudis, San Carlos and San Juan, as well as the super sleepy Sant Llorenc, a tiny village and home to the stunning La Paloma restaurant and cafe, a real highlight of our holiday. We spent a blissful afternoon here, enjoying lunch on the tree studded terrace and looking out over the beautiful surrounding countryside. For me, this place typified the luxe-hippy vibe of the island I was hoping to experience, but thankfully wasn't as prohibitively expensive as I'd been expecting. Highly recommended.
Now, remember I said I'd been intrigued by the idea of Ibizan clubs since the olden days? Well, despite going with the kids and being - ahem - perhaps a little past my clubbing prime, I wasn't going to go all the way to Ibiza and not get any where near a pair of decks (or whatever it is they use in the clubs these days). The obvious place to do this is, of course, at San Antonio's Sunset Strip or the mega clubs of Pacha, Amnesia and Space...but sadly they don't let kids in, even for the foam parties.
So our experiences were limited to Las Dalias Hippy Market, home to some brilliant DJs, and Las Salinas beach where you can choose from The Jockey Club or Sa Trinxa for your have-child-will-go-clubbing moment. The former was our beach club of choice and meant we could hang out with the beautiful people, listen to some nice tunes and embarrass our children by dancing. But that's fine as they can distance themselves from you while you do this a few metres away on the beach - win, win. The drinks here are very expensive, though.
I have to give Las Dalias a mention again - I loved it here. I'm partial to a market at the best of times, but when you can mooch about looking at hippy-style bags, flip flops and other gorgeous trinkets, under the moonlight, to the perfect soundtrack of Balearic house, I was feeling on particularly good form. You can get very good cocktails here and food, plus there's even a children's area with the most amazing hand-made carousel, run by an amazing old hippy - the stuff of Ibizan legend, basically.
Ibiza Town is a must-visit too. Cosmopolitan, vibrant, bustling - there wasn't anything I didn't like about this place. Gawping at the mega yachts in the harbour was a highlight for the kids, while I adored the old town - Dalt Vila - with its atmospheric alleyways, stylish restaurants and fairy-light strung plazas. We made a couple of visits to the fantastic La Bodega for really good, well-priced tapas in a cute side street just outside the old city walls.
Another highlight of the trip - marred slightly by the crowds and nausea-inducing ferry crossing - was a trip to Formentera. Everyone had told us to go and I'd seen enough pictures of Jade Jagger reclining on the island's beaches over the years to have my own serious yearning to experience this place for myself. And it is truly breath-taking.
Like the beaches of Sardinia, you can't quite believe water and sand can be this clear and this white this side of the Indian Ocean. It's just spectacular and even a difficult journey to get there (you need to get a bus, taxi or bike from the port to the beaches) and crowds can't detract from its beauty. Do be sure to take your own supplies and parasols as there is no natural shade on most of the beaches.
If you get an overcast day and don't know where to go, there are some outstanding shopping opportunities on the island. Santa Gertrudis has some cute little boutiques while I fell in love with just about everything in both Sluiz and La Galeria Elefante, both situated on the road into Santa Gertrudis. Sluiz is a bit like Ikea meets Antropolgie meets the Conran Shop meets Tiger...but even that description doesn't really do justice to its uniqueness.
It's the sort of place where you'll be happily browsing the quirky homewares and a gospel choir suddenly appears and starts singing '90s R&B at you. There's a restaurant and cafe/bar, plus the weirdest toilets I've ever been in. All in all, well worth a detour.
Over the road La Galeria Elefante is a much more bohemian affair with a beautifully curated collection of fashion, jewellery, home ware and more. It's the kind of place that makes you want to give it all up, buy a rundown finca and furnish it with Indian cushions and stuff made from reclaimed wood.
But sadly, I'm some way off giving up the day job or affording a second home to fill with bohemian knick knacks. Also, just going on holiday to Ibiza isn't the cheapest of options - you can spend some serious money here.
That said, we didn't find it as pricey as we were expecting - we made economies by taking our own parasol everywhere (this was provided in our apartment), taking picnics to the beach and seeking out the more authentic, wallet-friendly places on the island (the cute little restaurant Bar Anita in San Carlos is much loved by the fashionable set but the food is fantastic value; another budget-friendly option is Destino in Sant Josep.)
We swapped an expensive dinner at the gorgeous Amante Beach club for a couple of cocktails - we still got to enjoy the amazing views and DJ but decided that splashing out on a pricey meal with kids in tow might not be money best spent.
So yes, we'll be back. There's still so much we want to see in Ibiza - we didn't touch the western side of the island and I'd love to go back to Formentera out of season. As someone for whom disappointment is my default emotion, I was fully expecting to come back from Ibiza saying "Well, I can't see what the fuss is about!" But that didn't happen. I really loved it.
I think we chose a good place to stay and I'm kind of glad I'm too old to go clubbing - I think experiencing that side of the island nearly 30 years after 'The Second Summer of Love' would have totally shattered the illusion for me, now that the clubs are dominated by superstar DJs and little of the original Balearic house scene appears to remain intact.
And aside from the music, beautiful people and expensive beach clubs, Ibiza is simply stunning, with a huge choice of wonderful beaches, pretty villages and tranquil rural scenery. All the other stuff and that inimitable Ibizan vibe is just a wonderful and unique bonus...
For a guide to Ibiza and Formentera, this beautifully illustrated guide book is perfect. EasyJet flies direct from Bristol to Ibiza.
It's not often a blogging opportunity comes around where I think, "Yes, I can do that..I can really get behind that idea." But when I received an invitation from award-winning, Devon-based crisp company Burts Chips to trial their products I didn't need much persuading...they kind of had me at 'crisps'.
"We've teamed up with TV food chef Dean Edwards and he's created some exciting new recipes featuring crisps", they said. "I'm in", I said.
A week later, a very large box of crisps arrived. Now, I'm not going to lie, much as I'm partial to a bag of superior quality crisps, I've never really got the concept of crisp sandwiches. I've never quite understood why you might dilute the taste of a delicious bag of crisps with the addition of two slices of bread...it just hasn't really been something I've been too fussed about trying.
But, like dyeing your hair pink or going to Glastonbury, I began to wander if my middle-aged self might be missing out on something by not trying one of these mythical snacks. And when I read Dean's recipes, I was convinced that making a crisp sandwich would be added to my recently drawn-up 'things to do before I get too old' list.
Using my supply of crisps, I started with what felt like a suitably summery creation - the Crunchy Cheese Quesadilla, using Burts' Thai Sweet Chilli crisps. Really quick and easy to whip up, I LOVED this recipe and can honestly say that the addition of said crisps elevated my love of the quesadilla into something almost spiritual. I'm not joking.
Two oozing cheese quesadillas, sandwiched between a delicious easy-to-make homemade guacamole and topped with crushed crisps, and sprinkled with coriander...well, it certainly made a change from beans on toast.
Now, I will admit that in between testing the recipes I ate a few bags of crisps on the sly. And we took a couple of bags on picnics and to a friend's BBQ, sharing the Burts love, as it were. I needed no converting about their deliciousness - as 'posh' crisps go, I reckon these are the best - the flavours are just right, they taste authentic and natural, and they're not greasy like some artisan-style crisps can be.
Just so you know, Burts Chips are entirely natural and free from gluten, artificial additives and preservatives. They've also won several foodie accolades, including a Great Taste award. My box contained not only the standard crisps but some Lentil Waves, which were a whole new taste sensation.
I'm not too fussed about counting calories these days - everything in moderation is my current mantra - but if you love crisps but view them as a bit of a guilty pleasure, these babies taste delicious (not diet-y at all) and weigh in at just 99 calories.
Anyway, back to the recipes. Next up, I fancied something with a Mediterranean flavour - the sun was out and something featuring mozzarella, pesto and basil was in order. Step forward the delicious Roasted Summer Vegetable Roll, a heady mix of crusty roll, pesto, mozzarella, roasted pepper, basil and Vintage Cheddar and Spring Onion Burts Chips. Again, the addition of some crunch made things just that little bit more interesting.
Finally, I opted for a classic - a good old Cheese 'n' Pickle sarnie with a crispy-based twist. I also added my own little variation to the recipe, swapping mayonnaise (not my favourite condiment) for some sweet chili pickle I had in the fridge. I also substituted wholemeal bread for a classic crusty baguette, but kept everything else per the recipe - some proper red onion, pickled lightly in vinegar, some juicy tomatoes, a generous sprinkling of mature cheddar and then a final layer of Sea Salt and Malted Vinegar crisps.
Taking literally moments to put together (with a little bit of added time to pickle the onion) this combination once again made me rethink my views on crisp sandwiches.
Basically, they're ace. Not only that, but the addition of crisps has great powers when it comes to persuading kids to try unfamiliar sandwich fillings. My two would usually balk at the idea of avocado, but added to a cheesy quesadilla, with crisps thrown into the mix, they were happy to give it a try. Bit of a win-win, then.
Next, I'll be thinking of ways to use up my remaining crisp supply in my own recipes...I have a feeling a goats cheese, rocket, caramelised onion and Spicy Chorizo crisp ciabatta might work a treat...
You can check out all of Dean Edwards' brilliant crisp sandwich recipes here, plus read more about Burts Chips on their website.
This post was written in collaboration with Burts Chips.
A lot has happened since we visited Annecy in late May. Brexit, terrible events in Nice and an attempted coup in Turkey. Oh, and I got a massive freelance project to work on which has pretty much put paid to any blogging time. But it's the hottest day of the year - too hot to sit in the sun - and remembering the clean, fresh air of the alps while I try and cool down in the shade, added to a healthy dose of blogger's guilt, has combined to provide the perfect "I really should write that blog post" moment. So here goes...
The alps has been on my travel wish list for ages but without the funds to take the family skiing and the worry that it might be too wet for a summer holiday, we've never quite made it there. So I was pretty chuffed to stumble on bargain flights and even cheaper accommodation during a half-hearted internet browse one cold day in March. Turns out you can get to Alps for less than a grand if you travel out of the ski and peak summer seasons; as I was looking for May half term, prices were less than you'd pay for a week in Cornwall (whether this will be possible in a post-Brexit landscape, who knows...)
We bagged cheap flights from Bristol to Geneva and a fantastic deal on a mobile home through Eurocamp, bringing the total cost of 5 days' holiday - including car hire - to just over £700 for the four of us. I cannot recommend Eurocamp, Canvas or any of the outdoor holidays companies highly enough for helping to make family breaks more affordable. They can be expensive in the summer, but out of season there are some amazing deals to be had if you're prepared to stay in relatively basic accommodation and perhaps not have the full array of facilities at your disposal (pools may not be open, and other site facilities - shops, entertainment, etc - may be running to a more restricted schedule, for example.) We've stayed at other Eurocamp sites out of season (when we visited Paris and Normandy) so we knew what to expect.
We stayed at the fantastic La Ravoire campsite, in the small village of Doussard overlooking Lake Annecy. The nearest airport is Geneva but be warned that if you plan to hire a car in Switzerland a new law came into force this year which makes it illegal to drive a Swiss rental car into either France or Italy...we were unaware of this but were advised to cross the 'quieter' border, however for peace of mind I'd advise checking this issue out when you book your car or requesting a car with a German or French number plate, rather than one emblazoned with a Swiss plate and CH stickers.
The journey to Annecy is straight-forward and takes about an hour from Geneva. Our trip took in pretty much one whole side of the gorgeous lake which quickly counterbalanced any travel stresses - it's just spectacular. Our small site was perfect for our requirements - the lake was accessible by foot, there were two small pools on site (indoor and outdoor) a games room, playground and snack bar...perfectly adequate for our stay. We really liked this site; perhaps it was the compact size that the kids could explore unsupervised and the wonderful setting that really stood out, but it was also a very clean, orderly place, with helpful and efficient staff, as well as two of the best reps we've encountered on our many years holidaying with Eurocamp (a lovely husband and wife team, Karen and Colin, who were really visible and contactable on site.)
Exploring this part of France is a real treat, with pretty lakeside towns to explore and mountains to ascend. Those in the know say that Annecy is one of the best places in the world to go paragliding and throughout the day you'll see the skies filled with colourful parachutes descending over the azure lake. We didn't quite have the stomach to try it ourselves, but we visited the village of Montmin, high up in the hills and a popular take-off point for those that do have the daredevil gene. If you don't, you get to gaze at the outstanding panoramic view of the lake, with just the gentle tinkling of cowbells in the background to distract you. It's a truly stunning place.
You should obviously visit Annecy itself during your stay. This picturesque lakeside town is heaving with character, defined by the canals that cross its centre, lined with restaurants, cafes and boutiques. A bit like Bruges or a small-scale Venice, the water is never far away, giving Annecy a true fairytale quality. As well as exploring the canals you can head to where the lake opens out and take a boat ride or hire a pedalo, neither of which are prohibitively expensive activities.
Be sure to visit Annecy by evening, too, when the restaurants come to life and the town bustles with activity. There's a huge choice of restaurants where you can sample the hearty fare of the Haute Savoie, including rich cheese-based dishes such as fondue and tartiflette (the latter is yum...just don't think of the calorie content.) Ice cream is also big in Annecy, plus we stumbled on the cutest Breton crepe restaurant, serving a huge variety of sweet and savoury options. This part of France is perhaps not the cheapest for eating out (we had a very expensive meal further up the lake at Doussard) but you are rewarded with delicious lake-fresh fish and amazing cheeses, such as the locally produced Reblochon.
Other places to visit include the pretty lakeside village of Talloires and Conflans, a medieval village perched in the hills with a picturesque main square. If time and weather permits (it was too wet and overcast on the day we intended to visit) you could drive east towards Chamonix and Mont Blanc. No doubt spectacular on a clear early summer day, be prepared to pay some pretty serious cash if you want to take the family on any of the Mont Blanc attractions (the cable cars and trains seemed quite pricey to me.)
In the other direction lies Chambery but we didn't want to make too long a journey so got our mountain fix in the lovely ski resort of La Clusaz, about an hour away from Annecy. It's a hairy ride if the cloud descends and the fog obscures the hairline bends (which it did on our journey) but worth the white knuckles if you're confident of driving in those sorts of conditions. Not being very acquainted with the whole skiing thing, we were interested to see what a ski resort looks like (minus the snow, of course) and enjoyed gazing at the typical cow-filled, chalet-studded Alpine scenery (as well as tucking into an epic lunch of more cheese, ham and potato rosti than I thought was humanly possible to consume.)
We returned from our Alpine adventure a little more intrigued by the idea of skiing and a lot more in love with this part of France. The perfect counterpoint to the relentless pace of urban life, we really slowed down on this holiday, took time to look at the sky and the mountains, and really savoured the atmosphere of one the most tranquil places we've visited. I think we'll be back..as long as low-cost travel is still a thing post-Brexit...
For more information about La Ravoire campsite, visit the Eurocamp website.
