Seven Stars – a review

Posted on August 15, 2015January 22, 2024 by jennyinbrighton

I’ve been to Seven Stars in the south lanes once before. Four years ago on a busy Saturday night, the place was filled with football on the TV and loud drunk men everywhere. Not super pleasant. More recently, the pub has been taken over and had a swanky revamp, now prominently featuring craft beer and all the meat by Little Blue Smokehouse (a favourite at Street Diner).

We head there after work on a Wednesday. I’m first to arrive (standard) and have a wander along the bar looking at the beers. One of the lovely girls behind the bar asks if I need help (big mistake) and I launch into a monologue about how I’m just starting to drink beer and I like lager and I want to try something new and what can she recommend. She gives me some tasters (Curious IPA and another IPA that I really wish I had written the name down because it was lovely – for those interested, it is the first tap you get to when entering the pub). I pick the latter and find a corner to hide in (meeting me for dinner is a challenge). When my companions arrive we start drooling over the food menu.

All the meat. So much meat.

After much umming and ahhing we chose our food: One pulled pork roll, one chopped brisket on sourdough (with fries) and one Trash Can fries.

All of the portions are generous. The pulled pork is heaped into a bap and the brisket comes layered inside two large pieces of crusty sourdough. Both come with a bowl of ‘slaw – a crispy fresh accompaniment with enough may to bind it, but not enough to make it a soggy mess. My trash can fries arrive – a bowl loaded with fries and topped with pulled pork, cheese, fried pickles and hot sauce (to which I add more hot sauce).

We dig in and don’t speak for a few minutes with the exception of “ohhhhhhhhhh myyyyy god this is good”. The pulled pork is soft and flakey and smoky – ever so slightly dry but that is what hot sauce is for. Personally, I would put more cheese on the trash can fries in the future as it didn’t melt particularly well, but the fried pickles are great. Basically a normal pickle but with a crispy crunch outside. Wonderful stuff.

A mountain of meat — Trash can fries with pulled pork

Reviews of the two buns come from my companions:

The menu is short but sweet, offering a handful of options (not many options for vegetarians….) but the beer selection at the bar (along with spirits and cocktails) certainly means you won’t get bored here. From our short meal, I’m fairly confident when I say that the menu is going for quality over quantity. This is something that is repeated on their website

We smoke, we pickle, we spice, we brine and we smoke. We smoke a lot. We smoke meat, we smoke fish and we smoke vegetables.
We care about how we smoke and we care about what we smoke.
We use the best produce we can, the best wood we can and the best charcoal we can.
We love food and want to enjoy it, food should be fun, food should be interesting and food should be respected.
We love what we do and we hope you do too.

And we did. We loved it a lot. This pub has jumped up the list of places to go in my mind. The bad memories of the past are wiped out in a haze of beer and hot sauce.

All in all, a solid evening out. With food coming in under £10 and half a pint of tap beer for £2.50 it is both good quality and you definitely get your money’s worth. We were all stuffed by the end of our meals. The downsides of this place are that the music is rather loud (but nice and varied) and some of the seats and stools aren’t the most comfortable so get there early to grab a booth. It does however win major points for nice large clean toilets. A very important factor when you have a tiny bladder and are permanently thirsty.

You can check out the revamped Seven Stars website here along with their Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and show Little Blue Smokehouse some love here, here and here.

Alternatively, if blurry photos of food and Brighton is your thing I am also on Instagram and for bite-sized reflections into my mind, check me out on Twitter.

(Also, my dining companion Lisa recently had heart surgery to counteract her congenital heart disease and she has been writing a blog whilst she recovers so you should check it out – http://lisathepirate.blogspot.co.uk/)

Kooks – a review

Posted on August 6, 2015August 6, 2015 by jennyinbrighton

No. Not the band. (Although why not listen to Seaside as you read this).

Kooks opened in the North Laine’s recently and I’ve been intrigued by the name, menu and frontage. Due to Dan’s inability to make a decision, I told him this is where we were going for dinner.

Describing themselves as “Brighton’s boho bistro, home-from-home for the creative types”, this is normally the kind of sentence that makes me loudly sigh and hate Brighton a little bit. How can a bistro be boho? Drawn in by my lust for a steak, we stroll in just before 8pm on a Wednesday to a fairly empty restaurant. 90 minutes later when we leave, the place is packed with barely a seat spare.

We settle down and order the two lagers on the menu – although Dan gets served the wrong one but it isn’t explained what we got instead… I get a Camden Town Brewery lager and whatever Dan was served was flavoured with lemon and thyme which was nice and zesty against our evening of meat.

The menu. An interesting mix with starters ranging from wrapped vine leaves with pitta and hummus to sweet potato soup and mains featuring steak (mine), burger (Dan), spiced green lentil salad, haddock, and spinach, ricotta and parmesan gnocchi. But yeh. We went for meat. As always.

Steak with chimichurri sauce, sweet potato fries and grilled baby leeks

Steak burger with streaky bacon and cheddar cheese and sweet potato fries

I order my steak medium rare and with sweet potato fries instead of twice cooked chips. That steak though. I finished eating it nearly two hours ago and I’m still thinking about it. I imagine it will be the only thing getting me through work tomorrow as well. Beautifully pink in the middle, I have finally found somewhere that understands how to correctly cook a steak. Nice and juicy and seasoned with black pepper to perfection. The sweet potato fries weren’t too soft or too crispy, a good size – certainly a chip but not quite a wedge. What makes this so incredible was that chimichurri sauce. Heavy on the garlic and vinegar, it’s potent but not overpowering. Basically. I was in heaven. To the extent that I repeatedly said how happy I was. I’d had a bad day and was a bit grumpy but this turned my mood around.

Dan’s burger was huge. The brioche bun just held it together as meat juice dripped out onto the serving boards. I didn’t try any (we don’t really share food) but his review was “yeh, it’s a burger and it’s pretty good”. I really need to start dining with more eloquent people. They certainly didn’t hold back on the bacon, although the streaky bacon didn’t look as crispy as it could be.

We didn’t think we could manage dessert as the meat sweats were kicking in so we paid our very reasonable bill (£37.50 – £17 for the steak and £11 for the burger) and strolled out [side note: tonight was the night I chose to wear my new leather jacket, I left with a chunk of cow in my belly and the incredible smell of soft new leather wrapped around me. I still can’t believe I used to be vegetarian].

Would I go back? Yes. Would I recommend it? Yes. I liked the look of everything on the menu – I nearly went for the lentils which says a lot! They have a wide variety of wines and cocktails, as we were leaving the bar seats were filling up and I can imagine hanging out here of an early eve (because I’m a creative Brighton type…). But order the steak.

Kooks is on the corner of Gardner Street and Church Street and is open everyday with special breakfast and sandwich menus to keep you going throughout the day. You can check out their website here, and find them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

If you’re ever bored and fancy checking out my rants and loves then gimme a follow on Twitter or Instagram.

I will leave you with the wise words of Camden Town Brewery…

Crafty Chooks

Posted on July 15, 2015December 15, 2023 by jennyinbrighton

On Saturday I tried to go to Crafty Chooks for the third time. First time was just after it opened as my friend worked there, but we just had drinks outside on a sunny bank holiday. Secondly, we were hungry and wanted chicken, but it turns out 8pm on a Friday is a busy time and we couldn’t get a table. Finally though. Saturday. We made it. After a long afternoon of chilling in the sunshine and ridiculous amount of Brighton seafront wind, we wanted some nom and as part of my long on going argument with Dan to prove that Hove is just as fun and cool as Kemptown we headed here.

Crafty Chooks does – you guessed it – rotisserie chicken and craft beers. Placed down on Second Avenue in the shell of the Tin Drum (and directly across the road from my friends former flat), I have the advantage that it’s super close to my house. We booked a table this time and got seated in the bar next to a rather noisy table of drinkers (we were offered a table in the restaurant once a table had finished, but by that point we had our drinks and were too lazy to move) in the window so we could rudely stare at every person that walked past/in the door. The restaurant end is cosily decorated with soft lighting and wood panels, the bar end feels more open and conveniently has the word ‘bar’ in big red letters.

The drinks menu features five beers on tap, 10 craft bottles and another 12 ciders and beers. Plus sprits, cocktails and soft drinks (side note: there are only three gins). Not too shabby. One Sol and Old Mout later, we are tucking into one chicken burger (skinny fries substituted for chunky chips) and one steak burger (skinny fries substituted for sweet potato wedges).

The burgers were a good size (aka it just about fit in my mouth without having to cut it up) in a nice round brioche bun. The wedges and chips were big and plentiful, I think I ate an entire sweet potato. Slight crisp to the outside and a soft squishy middle, my wedges were perfect. With sweet potato fries being in abundance on menus across the city, it was nice to see a slight variance on this and the wedges were winning because they were basically mash in a nice shell. My steak burger was nicely cooked, I did ask for it pink in the middle which didn’t happen but there we go. Served with emmental cheese, onion marmalade and dill pickle, the burger was juicy and soft. The addition of chilli sauce and sour cream helped a lot – but honestly chilli sauce and sour cream make everything better.

"How was the chicken burger?" — “How was the chicken burger?”

Terrible burger review aside, Dan was also unconvinced by the giant chips because “they’re too soft in the middle and not crispy enough on the outside. I don’t like big chips”. This coming from the boy that deliberately ordered the thick cut chips instead of the French fries. I snaffled the last one and they are indeed very soft in the middle – but I think that’s a good thing. Just me?

By this time it was 9pm on a Saturday, and like the cool kids we are, we headed home because our afternoon of sunshine was too much for us and we were tired. With the bill coming to around £30 (would have been less except we both substituted our fries) for a burger, chips and drink, I think it’s pretty good value. Not the best burger I’ve ever eaten, but also certainly not the worst. If you’re looking for an afternoon to evening place, I think this is a winner. The outside patio is good in the sunshine, and features heaters for when it gets colder. They also have a fairly extensive sandwich and salad board, along with the option to have half/a whole chicken so I think there is something for everyone.

If you fancy checking them out, you can find out more on their website, Facebook and Twitter.

Don’t forget you can follow me on Twitter for daily ramblings about my life and on Instagram for various blurry photos that are mostly of food and books and Brighton.

Chilgrove Gin – a review

Posted on June 12, 2015December 15, 2023 by jennyinbrighton

So last week I got my latest delivery from the Craft Gin Club. This month’s package was a bottle of Chilgrove Gin with added Fentimans Ginger Beer and a whole load of recipe cards. Chilgrove Gin comes from Chilgrove (funnily enough) outside of Chichester so for me it is a good local gin (37 miles according to Google Maps). Founders Christopher and Celia did some research and discovered an old school recipe (16th Century old) which used a grape based spirit for the gin rather than the more traditional vodka base. After lots of experimentation focusing on getting a great base spirit enhanced by botanicals, they came up with their award winning mix. The key botanicals include coriander root, two types of orange, key lime and mint.

My Chilgrove Gin delivery with Fentimans Ginger Beer

The bottle comes with a foil wrapped lid (much easier than a wax!) with a cork and a bloody satisfying pop (my favourite part of opening any bottle). Even from briefly opening it the smell hits me. It smells like a perfect summer evening – a rare thing in England. You firstly get the smell of the juniper and you can pick up the coriander (I noticed this before I read the list of botanicals, I think my palate is FINALLY growing sophisticated enough to notice these things!) As a warning it’s quite a heavy bottle so take care when pouring – not that I nearly dropped it or anything… I mixed it with a measure of water – it releases quite a strong smell (bottled at 44% so not surprised) yet it is fresh and fruity – I imagine this is mix of the orange, lime and grape. There’s a slightly bitter taste at the back of the throat, smooth on the tongue but without the fruity or zesty taste that I have come to expect from gin. As I write and continue to drink, and now knowing there is some mint hidden in there, it makes sense. Fresh and clean and a good strong spirit.

Making up my G&T with a Tesco low calorie tonic (pre-holiday detox and all that), I take a mouthful and my tastebuds are instantly confused by the unusual taste. It doesn’t taste a lot like gin and I feel this is because of the grape base rather than the botanicals used. It seems less harsh, not quite as fresh as Blackwater No5 for example, but it certainly has a different taste. I added as lemon wedge (all I had in the fridge) and it could almost trick me into thinking I was drinking wine. A cold, fruity white wine. Very easy to drink (dangerous when drinking it on a rather hot evening as I was!). It is very different, but not in the way Tarquin’s is, this just doesn’t really taste like gin. Very strange but lovely. A few mouthfuls in and I can see this becoming a firm favourite in my collection.

At this point in my tasting I took a break to make dinner and mull over the flavours. The more I drink the more I notice the gin tastes coming through, but it really does taste like a white wine. I can imagine why this wouldn’t appeal to some gin drinkers who like their gin a bit punchier, but since its launch in June 2014 it has won a silver medal at the 2015 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, a silver medal at the 2015 World Spirits Awards and a bronze at the 2015 International Spirits Challenge. Not to be sniffed at. The delivery came with a range of cocktail recipes including their takes on a Tom Collins, Pink Gin, Martini and a Gin Fizz. The one I’m most excited about is the Bright ‘n’ Breezy – gin, lime, angostura bitters and ginger beer. Sadly my lack of angostura bitters means I can’t try this right now, but I am planning a special blog on exciting gin cocktails so keep your eyes peeled.

Chilgrove is available online and in selected shops (Brightoners – head to Butlers Wine Cellar) with Master of Malt selling a 70cl bottle for £29. I would happily pay that for this gin, if anything I expected it to be more expensive. Whilst I’m not certain it will become my go to gin for my after work G&T, I think it’s subtle flavours will work brilliantly in cocktails and paired with different flavours. I’m looking forward to trying it again because by the end of my second drink I was still discovering different notes and tastes. I think for the price, it’s worth ordering to give it a go if you want to change things up and try something new.

You can find out more about the Craft Gin Club on Twitter and Facebook, as are Chilgrove here and here.

Don’t forget, I’m also on Twitter with daily ramblings about Brighton life and gin and food and for photos to accompany these, check me out on Instagram.

Martin Miller’s Gin – a review

Posted on June 1, 2015February 14, 2025 by jennyinbrighton

Martin Miller’s Gin is probably the most ‘mainstream’ gin that I have reviewed so far. By mainstream, I mean it is available in shops and bars, but it isn’t quite at the Gordon’s/Bombay Sapphire level.

Launched in 1999, the London Dry Gin made itself unique by blending the spirit with Icelandic water. Whilst it follows the traditional flavours and dryness, but is distilled twice – once with the juniper and ‘earthier’ botanicals which are later blended with the citrus elements – in this case “bitter orange peel from Seville, lemon and lime peel”. Bottled at 40%, this gin is what I would call mid-market – more expensive than a Gordon’s but not the pricey £30+ level of the ‘premium’ gins.

The bottle features a screw top, a sign of a mass produced gin. When opened it has a soft smell to it, not too harsh or dry, with the citrus notes coming through but not over powering. As per my usual method, I mixed the gin with equal amounts of water which released the smell of juniper, although not as intense as some of the other gins I have had. Soft on the tongue, the juniper comes through at the back and a slight bitterness on the front of the tongue hinting at the anise botanical. It tastes quite pure (if that makes sense) – they say it is blended with 100% pure Icelandic water “the properties of which give Martin Miller’s Gin it’s creamy soft palate”. I agree. Creamy isn’t a word I would usually use in this situation but it makes sense once you taste it. It rolls easily over the tongue, with flavour but not over powering.

G&T time. I found a bottle of Fevertree lurking in my kitchen (bonus) so made up a simple G&T (although I didn’t pay attention when I poured it leaving it around 50/50 gin to tonic. Not to everyone’s taste but I reckon that’s about right). As the weather is warming up ever so slightly I’m finding I like more ice in my drink; nothing says summer like a very cold G&T (preferably on the beach about 50 feet from my front door). It has a certain tang to it (this might be the gin or the amount of gin, not entirely certain). It reminds me of Blackwater no 5. in that whilst it certainly has character it isn’t overwhelming with flavour. Add a lime wedge and it comes alive. The extra citrus brings out the subtler flavours. It remains slightly bitter at the back of the throat and the dryness of the tonic enhances that (that taste is one of my favourite things about a G&T – ironically this is what I used to hate before I became a ginaholic). The taste lingers in your mouth. Probably not for those who aren’t a fan of a dry gin (you know who you are). Definitely one for those that like that.

At this point, I usually leave my review, but I’d read before that Martin Miller’s works well with strawberries and black pepper. 50ml gin. Ice. Sliced strawberries. Tonic. Black pepper. It’s lovely. The strawberries give a fruity twist against the dry tonic and the black pepper adds a lovely sense of bitterness. I’d recommend making one of these, plus you can’t go wrong with boozy fruit.

I got my bottle in Waitrose (I was feeling fancy and I treated myself) for £26 and they are currently offering 20% off all gin making it just £20.60 (so head down to get a proper fancy gin and make the most of it).

Don’t forget you can follow me on Twitter for daily ramblings and on Instagram for various blurry photos due to my iPhone’s old age.

The Great Escape 2015 – Day 3…

Posted on May 17, 2015December 15, 2023 by jennyinbrighton

Day three. The final day. My broken sleep-deprived body is screaming for me to stop but I force myself out of bed and head down to Green Door Store for the Canadian BBQ (this is the second year I’ve found myself here, always go check it out as there’s good music and free food). First up was 36? who “create ‘part pop, part art-rock, part psych-jazz'”. They were certainly different. I actually enjoyed the music, but was slightly put off by two things. Firstly, just before the set started the drummer took his jeans off so played the set in t-shirt and boxer shorts. Secondly, the singer makes for a wonderful front man with some epic dance moves. Sadly the dance moves turned into strange thrusting motions against his keyboard and guitar, and were accompanied by a wide eyed, verging on psychotic, stare into and around the crowd. I moved slightly to hide behind the people in front of me. After 36? I nearly left, but stuck it out for Young Benjamins. Best decision I’ve ever made. They were excellent. A four piece band from Saskatoon who combine pop, rock and folk influences to make brilliant music. Plus, they all smiled and laughed their way through the set which I love. The Great Escape tends to attract a very hipster crowd/bands who think enjoying themselves isn’t cool so stand, stony faced doing a subtle head nod, so it makes me happy to see people breaking this tradition. Sadly there are no photos of either of these bands due to my fear in the first act, and sheer enjoyment of the second.

I had 15 minutes to get from Green Door Store to Komedia to see Lawson. ‘That’s easy’ you say? Not on a Saturday in Brighton when the sun is out, it’s mid Festival, Fringe Festival and Great Escape and you’re navigating the North Laines full of tourists and antique stalls. But I made it. As I stepped in, the lights dimmed and screaming girls surrounded me. What I didn’t realise at this point is that they had sold extra tickets for this gig, so I spent the whole set wondering how a load of under age girls with no wristbands had been able to get in. They also have a bigger following than I realised. I knew one or two songs, but the audience were singing along to every word, screaming out their love for members of the band and having a proper party. They were good fun, lots of catchy pop tunes and being surrounded by a crowd that were so enthusiastic for every single word and note got me really caught up in the atmosphere. I turned a bit fan-girlish. It’s catching.

As we enter the final stretch and rock up to the Paganini Ballroom for Sonar Soul, we are excited for the evening ahead of us. Sadly, one song in, we decide we don’t like Sonar Soul so head to Patterns to be super early for Lonely the Brave. As we sit waiting on their unfinished terrace (the place is like a building site) watching the sun set on our final day of festivalling, we get a text from The Great Escape saying the downstairs room is at capacity. No problem, we go in the main room, tell the bouncer we’re going to the toilet, go downstairs and in the back door. Sneaky sneaky. Lonely the Brave were a good shout for the last night. Loud, danceable, fun. Although we spend the whole set wondering why the singer hides at the back of the stage with no light on him. Apart from singing, he doesn’t say anything. Talking is left to the guitarist who stands front and centre, in the spotlight. We leave pumped up and ready for the epic queue for the Maccabees.

We get distracted en route by the photo booth in the Spiegeltent. Anyone in Brighton should go. £2 a go. It’s a hoot.

I don’t know what happened to my face here.

Then we get to Corn Exchange. Even a few riotous games of Heads Up in the queue can’t distract us from the fact we stood in the cold for an hour and a half and only got let in half way through the set. But the Maccabees were worth it. We had spent the whole queue talking about Latchmere and its wave machine. Two minutes after walking in, they chat about playing new stuff, but also rediscovering old songs and they burst into LATCHMERE’S GOT A WAAAAAAAVE MACHINEEEE. It’s like they waited for us. What with it being the final night, the audience are excited and drunk, making the most of the last night. The atmosphere is electric, everyone is dancing and singing along. As they hit the last note, glitter explodes over the crowd. We leave happy, all bad memories of queuing pushed out of our minds as we walk home. Tiredness kicks in and I slept for nearly 9 hours.

Happy 10th Birthday Great Escape. We still love you. Thank you for the weekend.

Great Escape in numbers:

Bands seen: 22
Pints consumed: Too many to remember
Venues visited: 9
Average hours of sleep per night: 6

The Great Escape 2015 – Day 2…

Posted on May 15, 2015December 15, 2023 by jennyinbrighton

I survived day one. Hurrah. Day two started with the builders outside my window singing and clattering around at 8am, so I started my planning early.

Heading out at 1pm I return to my favourite place in May, the Spiegeltent, for the Northern Irish showcase – specifically Ciaran Lavery. Lovely ginger man in a brand new suit. My kinda man. He was the second act of the festival to rock the harmonica/guitar combo. Different vibe to Fraser A Gorman though. The audience is calm – this is probably due to a mix of hangovers, early afternoon gig and the beautiful calming tone of Mr Lavery’s voice. My sleep deprived body instinctively wants to curl up in a ball and fall asleep listening to his voice. Halfway through the second song, he interrupts himself to dedicate his set to anyone that walks in half way through thinking they were coming to an epic afternoon rave, but now had to stay out of politeness, before continuing with his set. Great voice and cracking sense of humour. Top marks.

Now for a real adventure: finding the Paganini Ballroom. Tucked in round the side of the Old Ship Hotel on the sea front and real different to everywhere else I’ve been. Balconies, chandeliers (classy, not Shoosh-esque monstrosities) and Regency carpets and wallpapers. Then Groenland burst onto stage. There is a lot of them on a tiny stage, so I was worried that the dancing might tip one off but they partied on like it wasn’t 3pm. They were brilliant. I enjoy anyone with a ukelele, violin, cello and melodica. Particularly the melodica. They quickly warmed the crowd up for a boogie and catchy clapping – sadly the girl behind me had no idea how to clap in time…

It’s evening. I’m outside Patterns again in what can only be described as a mahoosive queue. It turns out that it is because the venue isn’t open yet, so we move pretty quickly. Heading inside, the first thing I notice is the signs pointing towards the toilets – a relief after getting lost yesterday. A group of boys with wonderfully hipster hair appear on stage, everyone cheers, they start performing and people start looking confused. After the first song they thank everyone for coming out and introduce themselves as Osca. Now everyone looks very confused and starts pulling out their programmes. This is NOT Andy Shauf. As people start drifting out, the rest of us are rewarded with an uplifting and rousing set. When I get outside in the daylight, I see they were meant to be on after Mr Shauf. What happened to him?

I ponder this as I cross over to coalition (one of the only seafront clubs with the same name as my uni days) just in time for Beach Baby. A “London based four piece whose crisp, U.S-inspired take on apathetic alternative pop”. Coalition is rammed (I’ve never witnessed it empty) so I’m stood behind a post so no photos. Very uptempo and danceable. Not sure I would call them apathetic.

Aurora. Her show is definitely not suitable for epileptics. I know she’s only 18 but looks avoid 12. Big wide eyes, gesticulating hand motions. Her band create wonderful noise encompassing everyone in the venue. Rapturous applause from the crowd. “You make me blush and sweat”. Sadly this is another act ruined by drunk bar chattering. Running With The Wolves bought on huge applause, apart from the man next to me who seemed to refuse to clap the ENTIRE show. Judging from the crowd and twitter, she entralled every member of the crowd and made us all fall a bit in love with her.

I head to the Corn Exchange for my second queue of the night (again because the venue hasn’t opened) and basically run inside to see Rag n Bone Man. He does not disappoint. Three songs in he sings Lay My Body Down and I nearly started crying and then had to hold it together for the rest of the show. Deep, soulful voice. Lovely beard. To anyone wondering if they should go see him, yes. Yes is the answer.

He was followed by Sunflower Bean and DMA’s. I have to admit, I didn’t pay the closest attention here because I a) had found some friends and b) I had consumed 6 pints by this point. Apparently Sunflower Bean mixes Black Sabbath’s dark rock with psychedelia. DMA’s sound a lot like Oasis. A lot.

Then came Django Django. The reason I waited in Corn Exchange for two hours. The venue was at capacity. The crowd was pumped. They put on a great show as always. We had a boogie. We started to sweat. It was now nearly 1am and my sleep deprived body needed a rest.

Day at two has basically destroyed me. One day left!

The Great Escape 2015 – Day 1…

Posted on May 14, 2015December 15, 2023 by jennyinbrighton

Its that time of year again. Time to put a wristband on, grab a programme and spend three days queuing running around Brighton trying to catch as many of the 450+ gigs as possible. This year is The Great Escape‘s 10th birthday, and my seventh consecutive year. Year one was a failure, I had a day ticket and didn’t understand the queuing so saw a total of two bands. Year two we only did evenings due to uni deadlines. Year three I worked at the wristband exchange, told Fyfe Dangerfield’s wife I loved him more than she did and fan girdled obsessively over the Guillemots. Years 4, 5 and 6 we successfully partied and so I’m excited for what this year will bring.

The wristband exchanged has stayed at its new Spiegeltent home and this year features an inside exchange area (perfect for today’s weather!) leading into the Spiegeltent area. Felt like a proper festival and was worried I hadn’t bought my sleeping bag. Grabbing a programme I ran back through the rain to the downstairs of Komedia for the end of the Australian Showcase. I arrived in time for Fraser A Gorman, a lad with a mighty head of hair (not that dissimilar to my fathers hair in the 70s) hailing from Melbourne. Considering it was 3pm on the first day, the room was packed and from the cheers arising from the crowd as song names were mentioned, he clearly has a following here in the UK. He kickstarted the set with “Better take your washing off the line because it’s raining” – very apt for the rain sodden city outside. Featuring catchy riffs, harmonicas and brand new tambourines, his set was good fun and got me in the mood for the weekend. Uplifting and highly bop-able.

Deciding against going back out into the rain I stayed inside for Holy Holy, which the programme describes as “huge, full band builds and crescendos, mixing distorted duelling guitars with warm, close harmonies and wild percussive rhythms.” Certainly a mouthful. As the room filled up around me and the buzz started to build, I started to think I had picked a winner. Hearing them for the first time reminded me of when I first saw Prides. Slightly blown away by the noise, and intrigued as to how much sound could come from so few people. They did indeed have full band builds and crescendos. They also had a bassist so tall I thought he would hit his head, and a guitarist that looked like Jesse Bradford in Bring It On but with Jon Snow’s hair (GoT Jon Snow, not channel 4 news Jon Snow).

So it’s now 11:30pm and I have survived my first day. After a trip home for food and Strongbow (don’t judge me) I journeyed across to Kemptown to Patterns. Which used to be Audio and now features glitterballs as its 80s name would suggest. But the bouncer fist bumped me on the way in so I’m a fan. Between that and paying £4.20 for a cider I got lost en route to the toilets and made many friends all equally as lost. Basically Patterns, sort your signage out. Patterns doesn’t help its 80s disco name with its decor. Neon blue and green on the walls, with pink fluorescent lights and mic cables. Here I saw Jagaara, a three piece sister act with some strong eyebrow game. Half an hour of dreamy electronic pop later, I headed upstairs and caught the end of Cold Fronts who were singing Sinatra’s ‘ I love you baby’ which was both brilliant as the singer wound his way through the crowd and on to the bar, and horrible because I had Heath Ledger in 10 Things I Hate About You flashbacks (RIP Patrick Verona). Plus I wanted to wash all of their hair.

After the ‘rock’ fest I was treated to the acoustic delights of Tenterhook. Sadly, he was ruined by the chatter going on by the bar which drowned out his singing, but he was wonderful. And wearing double denim, because, when in Brighton. He channelled his inner Ed Sheeran as he hit the high notes, and was the only act I saw tonight that didn’t make a joke about the horrible weather.

After my trip to Patterns, I went to Shoosh, That is a sentence I never thought I would say. It is as hideous as I expected. White chandeliers. Seriously. They then charged £4.50 for a bottle of Rekorderlig and she threw half of it away because it wouldn’t fit in the plastic glass. Luckily Astronomyy kicked off their set with “Nothin on my mind“. 30 minutes of catchy electro pop later, they (along with Jagaara) proved you don’t need a bassist to be great. Plus they sampled some Destiny’s Child “Say my name” which I NEVER object to.

10pm. Heading to Brighton Spiegletent. One of my favourite things about the Festival. I grabbed myself a £6 cocktail from the van (gin, elderflower, cucumber, soda and lemon – very sugary, very alcoholic) and headed into the tent for Fismoll. Two guitars and a cello. Half the crowd gathered on the floor. It’s a touch time slot. The majority of people at this time are tanked up and ready to party so for a band to hold their own at this time is an achievement. Quiet. Calming. Soothing.

Got me perfectly ready to come home and sleep (by sleep, I mean write this). So I didn’t make it to Jack Garratt, but he is playing tomorrow so all is not lost.

Don’t forget I’m on Twitter for random updates of who I’ve seen.

Two Birds Gin – a review

Posted on May 8, 2015January 22, 2024 by jennyinbrighton

This review is a bit late. I actually first experienced Two Birds gin in October after the lovely Morgan Rees bought me some as a present (October 10th for those wondering when to send gifts). Then I started my blog and got distracted by other gins and unemployment and new job and working all bank holiday weekend in Liverpool. But a conversation with my manager prompted me to get my act together and do this. Plus I was scared because I have so little left and I’m dreading the moment when it runs out 🙁

So. Two Birds. Another small batch gin, this one made in batches of around 100 bottles in Market Harborough, Leicestershire. As well as their London Dry gin, they also make a Vodka and Absinthe (plus some fun flavoured Vodkas depending on the season). This is the bottle that started my love of pretty designs on bottles.

(Note: the bottle doesn’t normally come with a polka dot bow. This is Morgan’s version of wrapping and I enjoy it too much to remove it)

The bottle is a screw top so whilst you don’t get the satisfying noise of a cork popping out the bottle, it is much quicker to break your way in (an important factor in my gin drinking life). The smell from the bottle is dry with the juniper coming through as the predominant note. I did the standard mixing it with water to release the botanicals and, unusually for the gins I’ve been drinking recently, you don’t get a hit of citrus. It tastes smooth on the tongue, no nasty screwed up faces ensue when drinking. It leaves a warm lingering tastes in the mouth and the dryness comes through leaving you wanting more.

Time for the G&T test.

For the test I’m using Tesco Low Calorie Tonic Water. This isn’t to be sniffed at. Tesco do a great range of tonics from normal tonic water to some flavoured with cucumber, jasmine and elderflower. They also do a great bitter lemon, and they are 4 for £1.50. And, most importantly of all, it isn’t Britvic.

Moving on. It is reminiscent of the Blackwater No.5 Gin in that it is smooth and fresh as you drink it. Whilst it doesn’t have the big punchy characteristics of some other gins, the smooth quality makes it very quaffable (it is seriously running low in the bottle). I usually love a citrus garnish but I don’t feel this needs it. Quite dry on the tongue (a good point in my books), Two Birds leaves you wanting more. I imagine it would work well in a cocktail or as a good base to any mixer as the simple flavourings would allow any added flavours to come through.

The gin is made with four botanicals (and juniper) which helps to explain why there is less going on, but bottled at 40% and a 70cl bottle setting you back a mere £28, I think this is a good buy. This gin will be great as an everyday G&T but it is special enough to feel like a treat. Plus look at the bottle. How beautiful will that look on the shelf filled with fairy lights (the current fate of all my empty gin bottles).

You can order Two Birds spirits from their website here, and you can follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter and Instagram for daily rantings and gushes.

Tarquin’s Gin – a review

Posted on April 12, 2015May 15, 2015 by jennyinbrighton

I spent most of March unemployed. This meant I was pretty bored and feeling a bit down. So my Dad decided he would try to cheer me up and sent me a present. A box bearing the marks of Southwestern Distillery arrived. Underneath a mountain of packing chips was a bottle of Tarquin’s Gin and a card.

I had mentioned this gin to my Dad before as he lives down in Falmouth and I knew it was made nearby. Only after receiving the gin did I look it up – it is made 36 miles from his house. Good local gin. For those that don’t know, Tarquin’s Gin is made by Southwestern Distillery in Wadebridge on the north(ish) coast of Cornwall. They make their gin in batches of no more than 300 bottles at the time, each bottle corked, sealed, labelled and waxed by hand. Each bottle comes with a unique batch number and information about that batch’s individual tasting notes. The key botanicals in play here are hand-picked Devon violets and orange zest. These aren’t my favourite things in the world so I’m a bit cautious about what I’m about to drink.

Now the best part – drinking it. Peeling off a wax seal is one of the most satisfying feelings. The first smell that hits you is a strong citrus note – good start in my books. I pour out a measure with an equal amount of water. It smells like flowers, the citrus notes dropping off for the violet to come through. It smells quite sweet, which I’m not used to experiencing with a gin. I take my first sip. It’s very easy on the tongue for want of a better phrase. It doesn’t taste harsh or too strong (bottled at 42%). The zest comes through at the front of the mouth, giving way to the aromatics. It’s one of the most flavoursome gins I’ve ever had, there’s lots of tastes going on in my mouth. To quote my brilliant notes that I wrote: “Good hit to it. Definitely drinking gin. Not so powerful it’s overwhelming.” I clearly have a career in drink tasting ahead of me.

Deciding that I shouldn’t just drink straight gin, I mix a new drink with some tonic – because the real test of a gin is how it works as a G&T. To quote my rather brilliant notes again, “lovely stuff”. A hint of palma violets (can be added to the list of drinks that taste like sweets alongside Southern Comfort and Lemonade). My batch (104) has the tasting notes of candied oranges, and there is certainly a hint of it at the back of the throat. Not so much it is overpowering – which is good because (as we all know) I’m not an orange fan. But this tastes nice, the bitterness cuts through the sweet violets and balances quite nicely. It produces a very distinct flavour which, on first tasting I wasn’t super keen on. But I always believe in giving things a second chance, and once I had got used to the taste I found myself rather enjoying it.

Aside from the taste, the other thing that makes Tarquin’s Gin unique is that they have launched Taste with Tarquin.

To celebrate the unique tasting notes of each batch, they played with Apple’s FaceTime code so we can have a chat with Tarquin (sort of). I tried calling when I first tasted the gin but couldn’t get through. On my third attempt the call connected. Then the connection dropped. Twice. But once it finally worked it was good fun. It starts with Tarquin talking about Southwestern Distillery and what makes them different. Then you battle with voice recognition software to tell them your batch number. Tarquin (who, by the way, is rather beautiful) finds your bottle, pours a glass and tells you – well, pretty much what it says on the bottle. He told me my bottle tasted of orange. He wasn’t wrong. Then you have a chance to leave a video message. I think I accidentally left one going “your gin tastes like sweeeeeeeeeeetiiieeeeesssss thanks!” You’re welcome Tarquin.

Slightly disappointing FaceTime adventure aside, it’s a bloody good gin. If you’re into floral, aromatic gins then this is for you. According to their website, Tarquin’s isn’t available in Brighton yet, but is widely available around Devon and Cornwall and some places in London – you can find stockists here.

Southwestern Distillery are also on Twitter and Facebook.

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Jenny in Brighton

I'm Jenny and I live in Brighton