I used to love doing these posts, and I know it helped me pick out gifts for my nearest and dearest, so I’m bringing them back with a long series - that’s right, a whole TEN DAYS of Christmas gift guides (lets call it GIFTMAS)
I have put my Elf outfit on, and delved into the world wide WebSphere to find some Christmas gift ideas for you lovely lot!
First up, and I think the most important gift guide of them all, one that features a whole load of pretty things from Small businesses.
More so than ever small independent businesses and traders need our support, so please try and shop small this Christmas when possible. Across the next 10 days, I will also be featuring some small businesses in my other gift guides, so keep an eye out.
As a Brighton born and bred gal, I've included a fair few local businesses, but, if you're not from around here, fret not - they offer shipping!
Go forth and browse....There’s something for everyone, whether you’re looking to TREAT YO’ SELF (you deserve it!!), or you’re ready to start your Christmas shopping. This is where it’s at...
Week 7 of lockdown in the UK, and I don’t know about you, but I am in a complete state of confusion as to what the heck is going on! One positive, is that some of my favourite local Brighton and Hove restaurants are offering up some tasty treats to takeaway or deliver.
And I don’t know about you, but that’s something I can get my head around.
Cin Cin
My favourite Italian restaurant in Brighton and Hove have put together Cin Cin At Home boxes. Launched a few weeks ago, each box contains a three-course meal for two, and has a vegetarian Arancio and salumi selection to start, a handmade pasta with vegetarian sauce for two as a main, and a dessert for two to finish.
We tried it in their first week of launching it, and were not disappointed - the food was delicious, and super easy to finish off in our small kitchen at home. Delivery is on Friday and Saturday afternoons, and they also have a selection of Italian wines to add to your order if you fancy.
Ordering starts at 6pm every Wednesday, via the Local ordering app here.
Cin Cin have also teamed up with The Flourpot Bakery to deliver homemade lasagnes ready to reheat and share at home.
Available from Thursday this week via The Flourpot Bakery website. Both meat and vegetarian option available - each serve 6 people.
Fatto A Mano
If there’s one thing I’ve been craving for the last 7 weeks, it’s pizza from Fatto A Mano, heck, I’m not even ashamed to say that during one of my lockdown meltdowns a couple of weeks ago, I shed a few tears as I just wanted one of their pizzas so bad. Emotions were running high in the household!
So, when they announced a couple of days ago that they were reopening their Hove branch for takeout and delivery only, it was the best news ever! They opened back up on Monday, and I've set my weekly meal plan around this - pizza for lunch and dinner is totally acceptable.
You can order via Deliveroo, order at the counter in their Hove branch (social distancing rules are in place), or go through their website for collection.
Petit Pois
French restaurant, Petit Pois have created a take on their seasonal menu that can be enjoyed at home, including their popular Sunday roasts. This is one of my go-to restaurants with my girlfriends when we want to eat somewhere central in Brighton, so we can head out dancing after. Make sure you order their delicious goats cheese croquettes - just thinking about them is making me hungry!
Open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday 12-3 and 6-9, you can order via Deliveroo, or give the restaurant a call and order directly, with pick up only.
The Coal Shed
Brighton steak restaurant The Coal Shed are bringing their restaurant to your table at home. All dishes are served to share between two and prepared to be finished at home with cooking instructions.
The menu looks delicious, and you can also add a variety of wines to your order - plus, on a Sunday, they're offering up their sharing roasts to order! Food is available for curbside collection or delivery Thursday - Saturday between 3- 6pm and Sunday between 1-3pm. Due to limited availability, food needs to be pre ordered by 4pm for the next day.
Wild Flor
The lovely people at this Hove-based restaurant have recently launched Wild Flor, to your door, a finish at home three course meal box. Each box is designed to feed one person, and costs £25.
There’s one box for meat-eaters and another for veggies, with box contents set to change weekly and in line with the seasons. We tried it out a couple of weeks ago, and as much as we miss visiting their restaurant, these guys have nailed the food offering, with perfect portion sizes and delicious food. I just hope they add their anchovies as an option to order soon - I miss those slippery little suckers!
Wild Flor are also listing a few wine options, so you can place an order with your food. From sparkling, white, red, rose, or even lager, these have been chosen to go perfectly with your meal.
Not that local? But still keen to order? Well, if you get in touch with them, they may be able to arrange for you to collect direct from the restaurant. Since launching a couple of weeks ago, they have been selling out in 20-25 minutes after orders open - amazing!
Ordering starts at 5pm every Tuesday, via the Local ordering app here.
The Urchin
Starting this week, my local pub are trialing four of their favourite dishes, to share and finish at home. They suggest mixing three of these dishes between two people; Moules Mariniere, Malaysian Prawns, Cuttlefish Feijoada with Chorizo and White Beans and Clams with garlic, chilli white wine and coriander. They're super easy to prepare in no more that 5-10 minutes, and they'll have some wine and beers from their list that can be paired with the dishes.
Order via their website now. Pickup is direct from The Urchin in Hove, between midday - 3pm Friday or Saturday this weekend. Alternatively, if you're unable to pick up, and live in Brighton or Hove, they will deliver to you.
festival, offering a variety of £20 menus, special discounts or one-off events featuring dishes
and dining experiences created especially for the festival.
The Chilli Pickle are offering up a mysteriously titled The Nizams of Hyderabad, the ever-popular Bincho Yakitori have pulled out the stops with a generous offering of salmon sashimi, oxtail harumaki, grilled skewers, fried rice with kimchi and green tea ice cream with sesame cookies. Not to be outdone, The Gingerman are offering a sharing feast for two people of Lancing College Farm rare-breed pork Tamworth/Berkshire cross to include roasted loin, black pudding ballotine, confit belly, crispy croquette, crackling and accompaniments, and finally, my absolute favourite, Little Fish Market are offering a £20 tasting menu, that has been so popular it sold out on the day it went live.
Another new addition to their Hove site, is the preparation kitchen based downstairs in the restaurant, giving Head Chef Jamie Halsall and his team the chance to create more dishes and prepare things that can take a lot of time and space for both the Brighton and Hove sites.
Perfect for lunch or diner (or both!) you'll be welcomed by David and his team and sat overlooking the kitchen area and bar.
Oh yes, you heard right!
See you at the pass!
I love a pamper (who doesn't?!) so when I heard that the hotel I stayed in over my wedding had opened their spa, I put my out of office on and headed down to the Harbour Hotel in Brighton, for a morning of relaxation and pampering.
We stayed in one of the feature rooms which was spacious, simple but luxurious - my husband had to drag me out the following morning as I didn't want to leave.
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