Circus Journal Vol 21

An independent journal on style, creativity and community

Volume 21 Winter 2022 Taste

Free

Top chefs + Winter escapes + Mr Noodle

+ Quick puds + Whisky + Wine pairings

+ Win a hamper + Seasonal events

People

Hello

Until 2 January 2023

Durslade Farm, Bruton

Somerset BA10 0NL

Pears baked with cardamom, homemade

sriracha and whisky aged in old oak barrels.

This winter, we’re talking about taste.

South-west food heroes, including Merlin

Labron-Johnson, Fang-Yu Lin and Josh Eggleton,

share their store-cupboard essentials. And

elusive chef Mr Noodle makes us ramen.

Try out simple sweets from Bath food writer

Rhiannon Batten. Or feast on winter’s beauty

at one of the UK’s cosiest weekend retreats.

Join us for a dram at Circumstance Distillery,

where the team is fine-tuning the first

Bristol-made whisky in 80 years. Then sink

your teeth into the best local events in our

special seasonal listings.

Psst... This Christmas we’re supporting

Julian House. Enter our prize draw to win a

luxury hamper, and you’ll raise funds for those

in need. Thank you, and happy reading.

Emily Payne, editor

www.hauserwirth.com

Orbits and Gravity (detail), 2009, etching, watercolour, ink and pencil on paper, 14 × 24.1 cm / 5 1⁄2 × 9 1⁄2 in

©️ The Easton Foundation / Licensed by VAGA at ARS, NY and DACS, London 2022. Photo: Peter Butler

circusjournal.com @circusjournal 3

Menu

Starters

Win a hamper 10

All this could be yours

Amuse-bouche 14

Going out! Staying in! Gifts!

Mains

Store-cupboard love 25

Chefs’ go-to ingredients

Ramen uncovered 40

Just who is Mr Noodle?

Enter our

prize draw for

just £5 and help

the homeless

this winter

Desserts

One-paragraph puds 48

Short and sweet

Five of the best... 55

Wintry weekend breaks

Drinks

Wine list 69

Pairings with attitude

Whisky business 73

Piss up in a distillery

Sides

Directory 81

Indie businesses we love

The Guide 87

Winter events

DO YOUR BEST WORK

AT NEWARK WORKS

IN THE HEART

OF BATH QUAYS


Contributors

We asked the Circus team to name

the last thing they ate

Kate Monument

Creative director

A Tunnocks

caramel wafer

Simon Tapscott

Publisher

Le Petit Beurre

biscuits

Emily Payne

Editor

Quavers

Vishaka Robinson

Writer (p25)

A cheese toastie

Stephen Lenthall

Photographer (p10)

Homemade quiche

Jenny Bowers

Illustrator (p25)

Noodle soup

Ed Schofield

Photographer (p40)

Westcombe Dairy

cheddar fritters

Nick Moyle

Writer (p73)

An apple picked

from a hedge

Amanda Nicholls

Writer (p14-21)

Rarebit crumpets

Rich Pelley

Writer (p40)

Potato waffles, canned tuna

and watercress

Natalie Paris

Writer (p55)

Schnitzel and creamed leeks

Clemmie Millbank

Writer (p87)

A custard cream

dunked in tea

Camilla Cary-Elwes

Sub editor

A whole tub of kimchi

On the cover

Illustration by Jenny Bowers

All our stockist deliveries are

made using zero-emission

electric cargo bikes

The team

Creative director + founder

Kate Monument

kate@circusjournal.com

Publisher + founder

Simon Tapscott

simon@circusjournal.com

Editor

Emily Payne

emily@circusjournal.com

Sub editor

Camilla Cary-Elwes

Instagram: @circusjournal

circusjournal.com

Advertising

To advertise in Circus, please

call Simon on 07816 322056 or

email simon@circusjournal.com

Stocking

Circus is available to pick up for

free at over 395 locations across

Bath, Bristol and the south-west.

To find your nearest stockist

please visit circusjournal.com.

Thank you to the advertisers,

whose support and encouragement

enables this project to happen.

This issue of Circus was printed

in November 2022 by Zenith Print

Group, in Pontypridd, Wales.

© Circus Journal 2022. All

information contained in this

publication is for entertainment

purposes only. Circus is published

by Do Good Things Limited who

do not accept any responsibility

for errors or inaccuracies that

occur in such information. While

every reasonable care is taken with

all material submitted to Circus,

the publisher cannot accept any

responsibility for loss or damage to

such material. All rights reserved.

This publication is copyrighted

and no part of this publication may

be used or reproduced without

the written permission of Do Good

Things Limited.

There’s Something in the Soil

Gift or indulge in a slice of the Somerset good life this Christmas.

Stay, visit or shop our artisan gifts and groceries online with FREE delivery.

Fresh delivery slots are available every day until Christmas and beyond,

for apple crumble mince pies, cyder, wine, cheese, festive treats

and turkey with all the trimmings.

6

Circus Journal Winter 2022

shop.thenewtinsomerset.com | @thenewtinsomerset

Say

to gifts

that make

memories

STARTERS

Win a hamper

+ Going out and staying in

From pottery

making in Bristol, to

wine tasting in Bath.

Find Christmas gifts

for everyone at

yuup.co

Beetroot muhammara

from Greenhouse

plant-based dining


Starters

WIN A

HAMPER

Enter our prize draw to win one of three

hampers full of delicious treats and

lifestyle products, generously donated

by brands including Truce, Meadows,

Lost Isle Project and Domestic Science.

Tickets cost £5 and proceeds go to

Bristol and Bath homeless

charity Julian House.

Photography

Article Studio

1st prize

THE

FOODIE

ONE

Robun: Tasting menu for

two, including a bottle of

house wine. Rhiannon

Batten: Rustle Up

cookbook. Object Story:

Naturally dyed linen napkins.

Extract Coffee: Original

espresso. Sunday General:

Peter’s Yard rye & charcoal

sourdough crackers; Simón

Coll chocolate sardines; De

Carlo extra virgin olive oil;

Membrillo Untable quince

spread; Pelagonia black

olive tapenade; Odysea

roasted red pepper & feta

meze; Casalinga sundried

tomatoes; Curioso

Tempranillo 2020; Tony’s

Chocolonely gingerbread

milk chocolate and dark

candy cane chocolate;

Seggiano Lingue handmade

rosemary flatbreads; Jean

Brunet duck paté with

Armagnac; Seggiano

organic super dense classic

balsamic glaze.

How to enter

Grab your £5 ticket

before December 16. Lucky

winners will be announced

on December 19.

crowdfunder.co.uk/

circus-journal

Runner-up

THE PARTY

ONE

Beckford Bottle Shop: Picpoul de Pinet

AOP, Cinsault syrah and rosé. Psychopomp:

Organic vodka. Scout & Sage: London dry

gin. Sunday General: Torres Selecta black

truffle crisps, Perello olives and Crwst mulled

wine mix. Electric Bear: Six assorted cans

of beer and a glass. Extract Coffee: Original

espresso and decaf espresso.

Head to p98 to see

how your £5 can

help the homeless

this winter

julianhouse.org.uk

10 Circus Journal Winter 2022


Discover Christmas at

No.15 by GuestHouse, Bath

We love Christmas at No.15, Bath so we’re planning a whole

host of events, workshops, and special menus to celebrate the

most wonderful time of the year. Come and enjoy a gathering

with friends in our restaurant or Pulteney Room, or ease your

stresses after a day of shopping in our cocooning spa.

Scan the QR code to find out more and book now.

No.15 Bath, 15 Great Pulteney Street, Bath, BA2 4BS

www.guesthousehotels.co.uk

@guesthousehotels

Runner-up

THE COSY

ONE

Lost Isle Project: Chunky-knit red hat. Meadows: Velvet bow

scrunchie. Truce: Skandinavisk Nordlys candle. Domestic Science:

Solid brass candle holder, Spark Joy matches and a pair of beeswax

candles. BAM Store + Space: Wylder Naturals soap. The Village

Pottery: Mug. Harth Chocolate: Hot chocolate. Fill: Bath soak and

hand soap. Starlingpots: Tiny wobble bowl. Bramley: Hand wash

and hand cream. Norah Kennedy: Hand-woven basket.

Enter now

Scan the QR code

above or head to

crowdfunder.co.uk/

circus-journal



Starters

GOING OUT

Best for…

Posh sardines on toast

Beckford Canteen

A modern British restaurant in an old

Georgian greenhouse on Bartlett Street

from the Beckford team. Be wowed by

everything from cured pig’s jowl to plum

trifle in technique-driven dishes from

chef George Barson (River Cottage and

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal).

beckford.group

Best for…

Crab bisque

Cor

Meaning ‘heart’ in Latin,

Cor is North Street’s new

Mediterranean-esque

restaurant from Mark

and Karen Chapman, who

work with Square Food

Foundation to empower

those in need. It’s casual

fine dining with a gorgeous

seasonal sharing menu.

correstaurant.com

Bristol

Bath

Bruton

Peckish? You will

be after reading

our guide to the

most exciting

new openings

in the west

Words

Amanda Nicholls

Best for…

Oki maki rolls

Hakkō House ‘Tokyo Nights’

This Frome-based Japanese pop-up

will appear across the west through

winter, including at The Prickly

Pear in Bruton on December 15 and

January 19. Go for the oki maki rolls

(“If sushi and a burrito had a love

child”) with gorgeous pink rice.

@hakko_uk



Starters

South

Glos

An emporium

of treasures for

your home

P

CIRCUS READER OFFER:

10% OFF WITH CODE

WINTERCIRCUS*

Best for…

Shallot and pea flour pakoras

Greenhouse pop-up

Celebrating fruit and veg in all its

glory with four-course plant-based

feasts reflective of the season.

Savour while the winter sun sets

through the great arched windows

of Coalpit Heath’s candlelit Manor

Hall. This family-run monthly

pop-up also caters privately.

@greenhouse.plant.based.dining

Wells

WWW.GRAHAMANDGREEN.CO.UK

FIND US ON 92 WALCOT STREET, BATH, BA1 5BG

Hetty Hare Table Lamp £135

*Offer valid until 31/01/23. Visit www.grahamandgreen.co.uk/about/terms-and-conditions for exemptions and full T&C’s

Best for…

Mushroom

skewers

Root

Having bedded in at

Wapping Wharf, this

brilliant restaurant

is making like its

earthy namesake and

extending its reach.

Wells welcomes head

chef Rob Howell back

to his birthplace,

with veggie-focused

sharing dishes taking

centre stage.

rootbristol.co.uk

Frome

Best for…

Padrón peppers and

tequilla

Burrito Boi bar

A new bar at the Frome favourite’s

Station Approach restaurant

serves up fiery small plates with

sexy tunes and tequila. Nab the

Chesterfield, quick, and quaff some

quality cocktails too.

burritoboi.co.uk


In Let’s Make Art experienced art educators Alice Hendy and Karen

Davies use everyday household items to create 12 stunning artwork

projects for children to wear, play with or display. From animal masks

to matchbox dolls, every project comes with step-by-step instructions,

gorgeous photography and a mini-make. With lots of advice on using

sustainable and recycled materials, this is the book for the child who

plays with the cardboard box rather than what’s inside!

UK £14.99 • US $19.95

www.whiteowlbooks.co.uk

Starters

STAYING IN

NEW READS

ALICE HENDY & KAREN DAVIES

12 craft projects for children – fun

makes using everyday household

items, plus 12 mini makes

let’s

make

art

ALICE HENDY & KAREN DAVIES

Let’s Make Art,

Alice Hendy and

Karen Davies

For the child who prefers

the cardboard box to

what’s inside. Arnolfini’s

artists-in-residence

offer up fun ways to

use household items to

create flamboyant art to

display, wear or play with.

@letsmakeartuk

Fairy tale bakes

Embody characters

from cherished stories

while making (and

scoffing) Turkish

delight cake, à la

The Lion, the Witch

and the Wardrobe,

or cornbread from

Where the Crawdads

Sing. Amanda Saxby’s

kits come with premeasured

ingredients.

bookishbakes.co.uk

SHOPPING LIST

Add these treats from

Bristol deli Sunday General

to your trolley

White Mausu

peanut rayu

The umami flavours of Japan,

China and Korea. Add to

stir-fries, scrambled eggs

or curries.

Coco milk chocolate

Neighbourhood

munch

The ‘Etsy for cooks’ has

launched in Bath. All About

The Cooks is a platform for

local chefs to share meals

with their neighbours. You

can try authentic cuisines

from around the world, like

Walcot-based Mahesh’s

thali feast (pictured).

allaboutthecooks.co.uk

Wild Drinks, Sharon Flynn

Wild apple cider recipes, kombucha

and wine tips, plus all the

historical context associated

with fermentation practices, from

expert Sharon Flynn. Infuse shrubs,

syrups and kefirs with flavour and

put byproducts to use with kimchi

pancakes and Basque cider chicken.

hardiegrant.com

Preloved, Lauren Bravo

A love story “about things” from

our favourite fashion writer,

Lauren Bravo. Preloved is a tale

of friendship, loss and the joy of

charity shops. It’s not out until

April, but get this on pre-order and

prepare to give the Marie Kondo

school of thought a swerve.

laurenbravo.co.uk

Photography: Konstantin Kovalev

Cocktails out front

From the owners of The Hideout, Dos Dedos and The Common Room in

Bath, Outlaw Trailer Bar is fronted by bartender Corey Shinn. Whether

you’re partying in a field or your front garden, he’ll rock up ready to sling

cocktails using seasonal ingredients and small-batch spirits.

@outlawdrinks

Made in Scotland with

packaging by artists and

designers including

Alice Temperley.

Black Lines oatnog

Eggnog, but better. For every

bottle sold, five meals go to

a charity fighting hunger.

sundaygeneral.co.uk



Starters

Sustainable

Tables turned

Furniture made in Stroud using

found wood, recycled yoghurt

pots and cosmetics bottles.

woodmancoteretro.com

Coffee break

Bloomingville’s chunky

caramel-coloured mug is

perfect for a morning pause.

domesticsciencehome.co.uk

A proper brew

Bath-based Flavourhead mixes

herbal teas like cocktails. We

love the cherry and yuzu peel.

flavourhead.com

Circus

All the gear

Cotton and hemp aprons made in

collaboration with Bruton’s Roth

Bar & Grill Durslade Farm Shop.

@thecountrycribsomerset

Indie gifts for

the food and drink

lover in your life

It’s all peachy

Cesca Dvorak’s painted fabrics

and furnishings are designed to

bring joy into your home.

@cescadvorak

Garden Rooms

Handmade in Bristol

www.littlegreenrooms.co.uk

Stove with a view

Improve your winter walk with

a stormproof cookset from

Swedish outfit Trangia.

trangia.se

Food for thought

Cute typographic plates featuring

classic English idioms, made by

Bath’s Camden Clay.

camdenclay.co.uk

Canned treat

Porter’s gin, dry vermouth and

lemon zest. Chill in the freezer

and serve with a twist of lemon.

whiteboxcocktails.com


MAINS

Store-cupboard essentials

+ Meeting Mr Noodle

Photography: Charles Deluvio at Unsplash


Mains

Kitchen

confidential

Architecture & Interior Design Studio

From sea salt to sriracha –

the south-west’s most fêted

chefs reveal the ingredients

they couldn’t cook without

Words Vishaka Robinson

Illustration Jenny Bowers

Full design service & project management

New-build house, Skye

room-studio.co.uk info@room-studio.co.uk 01225 311528


25

Mains

“I preserve

wild garlic for

winter, whether

picking the

flower heads,

making wild

garlic oil or

freezing the

leaves.”

Wild

garlic

Merlin Labron-Johnson, Osip, Bruton

He notched up his first Michelin star aged

just 24, and now the Devon-born chef has

settled in leafy Bruton, making his mark

with seasonal eatery Osip. He tells us why

we all need to go foraging in spring

“Wild garlic is something I incorporate into my

home cooking all year round. I forage the bright

green leaves which look like monster blades of

grass in spring, and go for the small white flowers

later in the season to bring back to my kitchen.

It’s obviously seasonal, so in the summertime

I use the fragrant flavour to perfume buttered

potatoes or blanche it to serve with fish. I also

preserve it for winter, whether pickling the flower

heads, making wild garlic oil or even freezing

the leaves to play with as the months get colder.

Towards the end of the year, I can’t resist

delving into my preserved stock to give a gentle

garlicky note to winter soups, or hunt in my

freezer for a slab of wild garlic butter that

I can serve with an entrecôte of aged Limousin

beef, Pink Fir Apple potatoes and a sharp salad

of leaves from my farm.”

osiprestaurant.com

Fang-Yu Lin,

Sugarcane Studio, Bath

The pastry chef fuses

Asian flavours with

French-style patisserie at

her popular café. She

shares the comfort food

that she returns to time

after time

“In Taiwan, I grew up with

the sweet red bean soup that

your mother makes for you

when it’s cold, if you are ill,

or just as an after-school

snack. To me, it’s the taste of

home (my mum sometimes

even cooks it with ginger to make it extra tasty).

We’d also eat ‘wheel cakes’ that are made by street

vendors and filled with red bean paste, custard, taro and

many other flavours. They used to cost ten Taiwan dollars

(about 20p) and were available on every street corner

around schools – eating them is one of my happiest

childhood memories.

Red beans, known as adzuki beans in Japan, are usually

boiled in sugar to sweeten them and either mashed to

make fillings for various types of buns, dumplings and

pastries, or left whole and eaten in a sweet soup. They are

considered a ‘warm’ ingredient in Chinese medicine theory,

so are supposed to be good for you when you need energy.

For the red bean paste we use in our Sugarcane Studio

matcha gateau, we soak the beans for 24 hours, cook with

water until soft, add sugar and continue cooking until the

mixture becomes glossy. We then add some vanilla and

blend it into a paste. We also use the paste in our matcha

roll cake, matcha mille crêpe cake and moon cakes.”

sugarcanestudio.co.uk

Red

beans



Mains

Cornish

sea salt

Josh Eggleton, Pony Chew Valley,

Chew Magna

The pioneering chef behind the Pony

Chew Valley, which reopens in January

as a cookery school, venue and kitchen

garden, on why it’s worth upgrading this

most ubiquitous of seasonings

Ana Ortiz, The Mess, Wiltshire

The Galapagos-born head chef is

soon launching Fireside Feasts –

bespoke alfresco cookouts around

the UK. She explains the

transformative powers of fungi

“I absolutely love dried mushrooms

and would consider them my secret

ingredient for a whole array of sauces

and dishes. They have been a staple in

my family pantry for as long as I can

remember, and can take even basic food

to the next level of deliciousness.

Not only are the mushrooms

themselves extremely tasty, but the

liquid from soaking them for a while

provides an extraordinarily rich, earthy

and umami flavour.

My favourite traditional dish

containing dried mushrooms is a fresh

wild mushroom ceviche. The juice that

cures the raw mushrooms is mixed with

lime juice and spices. For a classic dish I

use it in a lasagna ragú. I soak a few dried

mushrooms, and once they are soft I

chop them into the sauce. Don’t forget

to pour the liquid into the sauce as well

– nothing is wasted.”

firesidefeasts.uk

Dried

mushrooms

Photography: Matt Austin and Ed Schofield

“There’s a reason why salt was used as

currency before we had money – it’s simply

fantastic stuff. But it can’t be any old salt.

My pick is always ‘grade A’ Cornish sea salt,

harvested on the Lizard Peninsula, which has

an extremely high mineral content and is handharvested

using Japanese extraction methods.

We try not to use too much as it’s very

expensive at around £10 a kilo. Although

saying that, we could happily get through a

1.5kg tub a week. I would actually 100% forgo

a whole cupboard of herbs and spices for

Cornish salt (but if I could keep one thing it

would be dried chilli flakes!).

An easy recipe that has good-quality salt at

its core is a fridge salad. Open your fridge and

grab cucumber, celery, tomatoes and radishes

– whatever you have. Maybe

all looking a bit limp. Peel

them, take any dead bits off

and cut them all up to the

same size. Then put in a

bowl, add a good sprinkle

of salt, stir and leave for 15

to 20 minutes to come to

room temperature. This is

enough time the for salt to

work its magic. Because it’s

an acid it penetrates and

attracts water molecules,

taking out the water

content from your

vegetables and marinating

and curing them in their

own water. Then just add

lettuce, oil and vinegar.

It will be the best salad.”

theponychewvalley.co.uk

28

29

Mains

Winter

squash

Richard Buckley, Oak, Bath

Food writer and head chef

at plant-based restaurant

and grocery store, Oak,

spins a love note to the

most cosseting and useful

of vegetables

“Pumpkins are synonymous

with the evenings drawing in.

There is something inherently comforting about them,

sweet and deeply savoury at the same time, as glorious to

look at as they are to cook. By pumpkins I really mean

the broader family of winter squashes, from butternut

through to Musquee de Provence. They lend themselves

to spices or sage, delicate and ethereal or the basis for a

fiery hot curry. Each variety is different and must be

treated as an ingredient in itself.

The dry savoury flesh of a Crown Prince reigns

supreme for a soup, scattered with crispy hazelnuts,

but it would be a disaster cut into chunks for

a stew. There is nothing better than a

butternut slow-roasted and mashed with

some white beans and a touch of cumin

and chilli, but a spaghetti squash

wouldn’t do at all. You should

always roast your squash, slow

enough for that deep, satisfying

flavour to develop but hot enough

to crisp and char the edges.

Never boil it, steam it or try to

fry it in the pan. If the skin is

thin, leave it on, if it isn’t

you’ll have the task of

hacking it off as best you can.

If you’re making soup, and

it isn’t too big, just cut it in

half, scoop out the seeds

and roast the halves with a

generous helping of salt and oil

until the flesh is melting away.

When it’s done just take a spoon

and scoop it out.”

oakrestaurant.co.uk

Sriracha

Tarryn Bingle,

The Rectory Hotel,

Malmesbury

The New Zealand native,

who heads up the

kitchen at The Rectory,

on the addictive sauce

that’ll add some fire

“I grew up in New Zealand,

where food was influenced

by a variety of Asian

cuisines, and I’ve always

loved hot sauce. My mother

was a creative cook who

grew chillies in the garden

and would experiment on

us kids. I make my own

sriracha, so I always have

it to hand.

To make it, peel 200g of

garlic and chop 1kg of red

chillies (including seeds).

Place them in a blender with

11/2 tablespoons of light

brown sugar and a teaspoon

of salt. Lightly blend. Place

in a sealed jar in a warm

cupboard for up to five

days or until bubbles form.

Check every day and unseal

to release the gases. Remove

the contents and blend

further, then push it all

through a fine sieve. Add the

remaining liquid into a pot

and cook for ten minutes,

adding one tablespoon of

rice wine vinegar.

You can use it with

hollandaise to jazz up

poached eggs, or make it

into a jelly and serve it with

oysters. It complements an

array of fish (monkfish

being a favourite of mine)

and I also love adding it to

salad dressings for a little

heat. Every time I make

sriracha it fills me with joy

and reminds me of home.”

therectoryhotel.com

“You can use sriracha with

hollandaise to jazz up poached

eggs, or make it into a jelly and

serve it with oysters.”

30 Circus Journal Winter 2022 circusjournal.com @circusjournal 31

Mains

Nicholas Balfe, Holm, South Petherton

The restaurateur and chef behind Levan

and Larry’s in London recently moved

west to open Somerset gem, Holm. This

family favourite is always in his fridge

Photography: Ed Schofield

Chicken

stock

“There’s no ingredient that’s held more

significance for me and my family than

chicken stock. When my wife Natali was

pregnant, she developed cravings for chicken

stock. I used to cook it in bulk, serving her a

cupful with almost every meal, seasoned with

lemon juice and a spoonful of ghee. Often I’d

join her for a cupful myself, revelling in the

nourishment it gave at an almost soulful level,

packed full of collagen, nutrients and warmth.

In fact, the first meal we ate after she gave

birth to our first daughter, Ottaline, was rice

cooked in chicken stock, topped with butter.

When our new baby was just hours old,

dozing on our laps, we lay there, eating

bowlfuls of what felt like the purest of

comfort foods, deep in a haze of ecstasy and

exhaustion. Nowadays, the babies are growing

up and while there’s rarely ecstasy, they bring

their fair share of exhaustion! The chicken

stock, however, remains a constant.

Natali says you know you’re in for a good

week when you have a tub of chicken stock in

the fridge. We add it to pasta sauces to

provide body and depth of flavour. To simple

soups and stews, made with little more than a

tin of beans and a few vegetables left to wilt at

the bottom of the fridge. To bowls of noodles,

curries and dahl. And it’s still a part of our

children’s lives too, ‘chicken juice’, as they call

it. I hope it continues to be as significant to

them as it has been to us.”

holmsomerset.co.uk

“You know you’re

in for a good week

when you have a tub

of chicken stock in

the fridge.”



Mains

Wholewheat

flour

New build, Georgian-style homes

with contemporary interiors.

Wing Mon Cheung,

Cereal Bakery, Bath

The founder of Cereal Bakery,

housed on the ground floor of

interiors emporium Berdoulat,

on why we should rethink the

way we use flour

“I normally have three or four

different varieties of wholewheat

flour on my shelves at any one time,

vying for my attention, and I make

the bulk of our bread and sweet

treats at Cereal with it. This is a

massive change to how I was baking

years ago [Wing Mon spent the last

decade in bakeries in Paris, London

and Manchester], when I was using

predominantly white flour and

didn’t really question its provenance

or how it was produced.

Over time I’ve realised how

wonderfully varied and nutritious

wholewheat flour is. We buy from

small producers, who don’t have

constant availability but do have an

exceptional product, rich in flavour

and texture. Around a third of the

grain is lost in the production of

white flour (when I think of all the

hundreds of loaves I’ve made

and how many extra I could have

made!), so from an ecological point

of view it’s so much better.

The main flour in our bread at

the moment is Orange Devon Blue

Rough Chaff grown on Gothelney

Farm in Bridgwater – it has this

nutty, malty flavour which works

brilliantly in a cheese and onion pie,

a quiche or a bread. We use a

wholegrain rye for our damson

biscuits (which have been our most

popular item since we opened), and

our carrot cake uses a modern

population wheat called YQ, which

gives this classic bake a distinctly

earthy flavour.

If you feel unsure about switching

up flours, start off with biscuits,

which are simple to make with

wholewheat flour – also shortcrust

pastry and cakes (you may want to

add an extra egg or dash of milk to

keep the cake moist, or look for a

fine-milled wholewheat). Once you

start baking with wholewheat flour

you’re sure to be hooked on all the

extra flavour.”

@cerealbakery_

For timescales and current availability contact

Rosemary McAndrew:

01225 302 888

rmcandrew@savills.com

holburnepark.co.uk

* Price correct at time of going to press. Images are CGIs.

The Kinlet four bedroom houses from £865,000 *

l Set in parkland with country and canalside walks on your doorstep

l Bath’s historical sights, restaurants and cafés nearby

l Easy commute to London from Bath Spa railway station

l Bridgetower Drive, 4 and 5 bedroom townhouses and villas,

released to reserve off-plan


Mains

It’s hard to put your finger on

The simple things

That make you feel you belong

A smile as you walk in the door

‘Help yourself’ pastries

Little extras that mean more

A playlist that’s a vibe

People doing their creative thing

Side-by-side

Friday beers after a long week

Everyday moments

That makes GR unique.

Gather Round.

A space to belong. Join us.

www.gather-round.co

Merlot

vinegar

Rob Sachdev,

Upstairs at

Landrace, Bath

Head chef at Bath’s

restaurant-above-abakery,

Rob Sachdev

tells us why this

acidic ingredient has

the power to make

our cooking sing

“We use vinegar in pretty much

everything: in soups to brighten them

up at the end; with vegetables while

roasting or poaching; and even in

caramels and other desserts. It is a

vital element in all my cooking, and

something I believe a lot of people

don’t use enough of or truly understand

the importance of. It is also vital in

pickling and preserving – something we

do a lot of at Landrace in late summer.

Pickled onions, beetroots and cherries

have all made an appearance over the

last couple of months.

Every cuisine as far as I am aware

uses some sort of acidity in food,

whether that’s from citrus, rice wine

vinegar, tamarind or fermentation.

It is something all good food has in

common and is so important in making

something delicious. A real highlight

for me was discovering coconut

vinegar in Sri Lanka, which is used

quite frequently in Sri Lankan cuisine.

We never use generic red or white

wine vinegar. It’s worth investing in

good-quality, single-varietal vinegar.

My personal pick would be merlot as

it has sweetness and fruitiness, and

is well-balanced, complementing

many things.”

landracebakery.com


Mains

USE YOUR

NOODLE

Anonymous chef Mr Noodle

quit fine dining to start a

ramen pop-up. We crash his

kitchen to find out more

Words Rich Pelley

Photography Ed Schofield


Mains

has tantalised the taste buds

of Bristol since 2020. He makes

ramen – big hearty bowls of noodles,

vegetables, meat (or a vegan option)

and broth – for pick-up, Deliveroo and

at pop-up events across the region. And

we’ve come to a quiet street in Redland

MRNoodle

to see what the fuss is about.

Billed as: “Michelin-trained chefs who started

cooking ramen for fun,” no one quite knows who Mr

Noodle is. Is he (or she?) an actual person? Maybe it’s

an underground collective? Or a famous TV chef who’s

gone incognito? Are we about to be whisked off to a

secret location and never seen again?

The door opens and we’re cheerily welcomed

through to meet the man himself. He is busy frying

gorgeous lumps of Korean crispy fried chicken and

grinding a Singapore paste, the base of a chashu curry

sauce, in a tiny kitchen, ready for this evening’s

collections. He’s a real person all right – flanked today

by two more of the noodle-making team. But he’s not

Delia Smith or Nigella Lawson (I owe the Circus editor

£5), and he certainly doesn’t give the impression that

we’re about to be bundled into the back of his truck.

The elusive chef is prepared to reveal *some* details.

He cut his teeth working for swanky eateries in New

Zealand (“I grew up with Korean, Japanese and Chinese

food”) and the UK, before settling in Bristol to co-own

one of the city’s flagship fine dining restaurants (he just

stops himself before telling us which one) which,

unfortunately, was forced to close in 2020 due to

lockdown number two.

Scenes from a kitchen:

Mr Noodle prepares

chicken, pork and noodles

Opposite page: Fuelling

the indoor barbecue;

ramen broth

40

circusjournal.com

@circusjournal

41

Mains

“Ramen looks

simple but it’s

not a simple food.

It’s a bit like a

cult: the more you

get involved, the

more serious

you become.”

“I said: ‘Well, the restaurant’s closed, so it’s time to

start Mr Noodle.’ It’s actually an idea I had years ago.

The streets were dark and I’d come from a restaurant

with lots of customers and a team of people. Suddenly

it was just us, cooking orders coming through on an

iPad. It took some getting used to, but it grew and

grew,” he explains, chopping a red pepper with

alarming accuracy.

Cult classic

With huge metal pots of stock on the boil, an indoor

barbecue on the go (“I like to barbecue the meat

because it gives a real flavour”), and some seriously

appetising smells wafting through the air, it’s easy to

see why ramen has such a fanbase. Following a food

shortage after World War II, it was served as ‘stamina

food’ in bombed-out areas of Japan, sourced on the

black market by Japanese crime syndicates. These days,

it’s one of Japan’s most popular foods: there are over

5,000 ramen shops across Tokyo, and each region has

its own tasty variation.

“Ramen looks simple but it is not a simple food,”

smiles the chef. “It’s a bit like a cult: the more you get

involved, the more serious you become. The more you

do ramen, the more you understand how complex the

basics are.”

Mr Noodle favourites include chashu pork belly and

glazed teriyaki chicken, sourced from local suppliers, all

served – crucially – with handmade noodles. The team

has a Thursday evening residency at The Good Measure

pub, has held pop-ups at Shambhala, Gloucester and

Stroud food festivals, and – chopsticks crossed – will be

at Glastonbury 2023.

“I spent seven years in London, getting up at 6am to

be at work by 8am, getting home at 1am and getting up

again at 6am,” Mr Noodle explains of his newfound

freedom. “One thing we love about ramen is there’s

nowhere to hide. It’s all about flavour in a bowl.

Modern chefs can hide behind gels, flowers and

garnishes. But there’s no hiding in ramen.”

After wiping down the scratched stainless-steel

kitchen surfaces, the chef packs some Sapporo ramen,

teriyaki chicken ramen, and Sichuan pulled pork

tonkotsu for us to sample on the way home. Luckily,

we didn’t end up getting imprisoned in a refrigerated

truck, like in Goodfellas. Even better, the ramen is

simply delicious. If you haven’t tried it – you should.

Just don’t ask for a selfie with Mr Noodle, that’s all.

mrnoodleramen.com


circusjournal.com @circusjournal

43

RECENT PROJECT

Advertising feature

Meet the maker

Bath

Bespoke

The local experts designing,

making and installing interiors

that are built to last a lifetime

In the village of Winsley, on the Wiltshire-

Somerset border, you’ll find the workshop of

Bath Bespoke: a rare kind of furniture-making

company, one born out of a passion for the

process, a desire to put design and craftsmanship first,

and a real interest in people and their homes.

“I’ve been fascinated by carpentry my whole life.

I used to make treehouses, boats and go-karts as a

kid,” explains Tom Jones-Marquez, who founded

the company alongside his close school friend James

Etheridge in 2009.

“The whole process for us is very special: from

coming up with a design with our clients, to striking

the balance between form and function, and making

all of our creations purposeful, strong and beautiful.

We are driven by a desire to do things in a different

way, with focus on traditional processes and the use

of the highest-quality materials.

“People want to have a

collaborative relationship

with the artisans and experts

behind their projects.”

Tom Jones-Marquez, Bath Bespoke co-founder

“There’s a growing awareness of the truism

‘buy cheap, buy twice’ – more people are

choosing to invest in quality items that will last

a lifetime and have a story,” says Tom. “People

want to have a collaborative relationship with

the artisans and experts behind their projects.”

The company designs, makes and installs

kitchens, furniture, wood flooring, joinery

and windows, specialising in whole-house

projects for clients both close to home and

as far away as London, Cheshire and even

Tel Aviv. Its approachable team is on hand to

advise honestly and pragmatically throughout

the process. At its core is a desire to work

collaboratively to find thoughtful ways to use

wood in and outside the home.

Georgian villa, Bath

Bath Bespoke was integral to

the design of this Georgian

villa. “The client invited us

into the property before

buying it, to ask for our

expertise and guidance on

how it could be transformed,”

says Tom. “We created and

installed new fitted furniture,

along with windows, doors,

mouldings, bathrooms and

oak flooring throughout –

and it looks incredible.”

A passion for the planet starts with materials:

Bath Bespoke uses FSC or PEFC-certified wood

and water or plant-based glues. “We make a

concerted effort to send as little to landfill

as possible,” adds Tom. “And we’re about

to invest in a local tree-planting and habitat

creation project; we’re really excited about that.”

The highly-skilled team has been based

at Hartley Farm for over a decade, and

encompasses a group of friends deeply

dedicated to their craft. This glorious location is

a real part of the story. “We’re deeply connected

to the land and the site, having helped design

and build the farm shop years ago, and the

new café too,” explains Tom. The workshop

is powered by solar panels, wood shavings are

donated to a local farmer to use as bedding

for his livestock, and wood waste is used for

heating. “We’re not far from being off grid.”

A relationship with the land and a sense of

working intuitively – whether with clients or

the community – is what makes Bath Bespoke

stand out. Tom says: “We add a real sense of

heritage and passionate craftsmanship to each

and every creation, to help build truly unique

living spaces.”

Visit bathbespoke.co.uk for more

information and to speak to the team.

Follow @bathbespoke for design inspiration

and latest project work.

44 bathbespoke.co.uk @bathbespoke

bathbespoke.co.uk @bathbespoke

45

DESSERTS

Perfect puddings

+ Tasty weekend breaks

Photography: Dose Juice at Unsplash


Desserts

COOK THIS

and

Short

sweet

Bath food author Rhiannon Batten

shares three one-paragraph

puddings (and where she gets

the ingredients locally)

Photography

Claire Winfield

Extract from Rustle Up: One-paragraph recipes for flavour without fuss by Rhiannon Batten & Laura Rowe (Pavilion Books).

Chocolate truffles

“I love Harth hot chocolate

and truffles. I haven’t

tried making the molten

puddings with them yet but

I think they’d be delicious

– especially the peanut

butter or whisky truffles.

Buy them directly or find

them at Bradford on Avon’s

Local Makers Market.”

12-minute

molten mint

choc pud

Serves 1

12 mins | Vegan

Heat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C/

400°F/gas mark 6. Mix 2 tbsp golden

caster sugar, 1 tbsp cocoa powder,

1½ tbsp plain flour, a teeny pinch of

fine salt, 1/8 tsp baking powder, 1/8 tsp

bicarbonate of soda, ¼ tsp peppermint

extract (optional), 1 tbsp groundnut oil

and 3 tbsp oat milk in a jug or mug until

smooth. Lightly brush a dariole mould

with ¼ tsp groundnut oil, then dust

with 1-2 tsp cocoa powder and turn

the mould around until fully coated.

Pour in the batter and add a chocolate

truffle. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or

until just set. Carefully tease around

the edge with a table or palette knife.

Place a plate on top, quickly invert

and turn out the pudding.



Desserts

Greek-style yoghurt

“Brown Cow Organics has

started making delicious Greekstyle

yoghurt. They have a shop

in a hut near Shepton Mallet, and

you can also find them at Frome

Farmers’ Market on the second

Saturday of each month.”

Pears

“My favourite place to eat in and

around Bath at the moment is Wild

Herb at The Field Kitchen in Holt.

In autumn, they gave away windfall

apples and pears from trees around

their site at Glove Factory Studios.”

Night and day pears

Serves 4 | 35 mins

Heat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C/350°F/gas

mark 4. Mix 2 tbsp softened salted butter with

1 tsp brown sugar and finely crushed seeds

from a small cardamom pod. Halve and core

2 ripe pears and fill the holes with the spiced

butter. Sprinkle a little more brown sugar

over the pears, then bake for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, make your sauce (see below).

Serve with the pears and their buttery juices.

Salted chocolate sauce

While the pears are baking, mix 5 tbsp cocoa

powder and 10 tbsp caster sugar in a pan,

bashing out any lumps with a wooden spoon.

Add 5 tbsp water, stir and gently bring to the

boil. Simmer for a minute, then take off the

heat. Let the sauce cool a little to thicken,

then stir in a pinch of flaky sea salt and pour

over the pears. If you have leftover sauce you

can always whisk some milk into it, little by

little, and heat it up to make cocoa.

Cardamom Greek yoghurt

While the pears are baking, finely crush the

seeds of 2 cardamom pods and stir through

8 tbsp Greek yoghurt, along with 1-2 tsp icing

sugar. Spoon onto the warm pears.

Rustle Up by

Rhiannon Batten &

Laura Rowe features

micro recipes so

easy they’ve been

memorised, like “tiny

culinary poems”. It’s

faff-free food, whether

you’re cooking

solo or aiming to

impress using simple

store-cupboard

staples and basic

equipment. Adding

the fondue soup to

your winter repertoire

(and rarebitting any

leftovers) is a must.

pavilionbooks.com



Desserts

Coconut oil

“Lots of supermarkets sell

this, but you can also find it

in places like Larkhall Farm

Shop (which I stop off at

regularly for owner Gerald’s

gorgeous home-grown veg).”

BESPOKE COMMISSION REMODELLING DESIGNER JEWELLERY

BESPOKE COMMISSION REMODELLING DESIGNER JEWELLERY

Meringues

“If you don’t want to

make your own meringues,

Bertinet Bakery makes

lovely ones. Raspberryflavoured

meringues

work really well with

the roast pineapple.”

31 THE MALL BRISTOL BS8 4JG

0117 973 1342

CLIFTONROCKS.CO.UK

31 THE MALL BRISTOL BS8 4JG

INFO@CLIFTONROCKS.CO.UK

0117 973 1342

CLIFTONROCKS.CO.UK

INFO@CLIFTONROCKS.CO.UK

Engagement rings designed by Clare Chandler

Engagement rings designed by Clare Chandler

Mini pina colada

pavlovas

Serves 4 | 35 mins

Heat the oven to 180°C fan/

200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Top, tail

and peel 1 pineapple. Cut it into

quarters and remove the core. Cut

each quarter into about 14 pineapple

chunks. Melt 2 tbsp coconut oil and

2 tbsp sugar in a small roasting tin

on the hob, then tip the pineapple

into the tin and coat with the oil

and sugar. Transfer the tin to the

oven and roast for 20 minutes,

turning and basting after 10. Take

the tin out of the oven and leave

the pineapple to cool a little while

you put 4 small meringue nests into

four bowls. Whip 200ml double

cream with 2 tbsp rum and 1 tbsp

icing sugar, and divide between

the nests. Top with the roasted

pineapple, a scattering of desiccated

or toasted coconut flakes and the

zest of 1 lime.


Desserts

The Arch at Fonthill

finance

now available.

Terms apply.

INSPIRATIONAL GLAZING - ASPIRATIONAL LIVING

Welcome to Vyoo, a fresh new vision of

quality, service and expertise.

The way glazing looks and moves influences the building’s architectural

expression. All our products are bespoke, we help you consider every aspect

- from colour and glazing options to opening and closing functions.

As the official distributors for prestigious windows in Bath, Bristol and

surrounding areas, we will be happy to help you find the right solution.

Ready to make the most of your Vyoo?

vyoowindows.com

01225 874 676 | info@vyoowindows.com

There’s a beauty in breaking from hibernation

– the bare trees, low sunlight and long walks.

Here are our favourite new places to stay

Words

Natalie Paris and Emily Payne


FIVE OF THE BEST

Winter

escapes

Desserts

Ship-shape

Albion Aberteifi is designed

to celebrate Cardigan’s

maritime heritage. Each

bedroom has the essence

of a captain’s cabin.

Photography: Heather Birnie

THE NAUTICAL ONE

What: Albion Aberteifi

Where: Cardigan, Wales

How much: Weekends from £290

Why: When winter whips up the Irish sea,

it’s time to batten down the hatches. Albion

Aberteifi is a rugged, maritime-themed hotel

that opened in two converted warehouses

on Cardigan’s waterfront in August. It is the

first hotel from fforest, who also organise

rustic farm and field glamping, plus an intimate

200-person capacity festival, fforest Gather.

The brand is known for its cabin-core

aesthetics, and at Albion they chuck on an

extra log for good measure. Named after

a ship that sailed from here to Canada in

1819 – it’s all about cosying up in defiance

of the elements, as you might have done on

board. The 12 bedrooms are tucked between

raw stone and reclaimed timber-clad walls.

Embroidered fabrics, made from Welsh

wool and woven upstream, brighten up

the snug spaces. Much of the warehouses’

original structure has been retained, and

another 11 bedrooms (including family

rooms) should open next spring. There is

a cocktail bar in a riverside courtyard, and

from December, guests can warm themselves

in a Japanese-inspired sauna and onsen

built into a wooded glade behind the hotel.

Bathrooms contain Aesop toiletries – a balm

for weather-stressed skin.

What’s on the menu? Yr Odyn restaurant is

set to open in spring and will serve seasonal

food with Japanese and Scandinavian

influences, cooked over a fire.

albionaberteifi.co.uk



Desserts

Antique charm

Interiors at The Arch at

Fonthill blend Georgian

grandeur with colourful

modern flair. See Parkside

bathroom tiles with an oak

floor, sage green boot-room

and a vintage armchair

upholstered in Mulberry

in the master bedroom.

RS ONE

OTHE INTERI

What: The Arch at Fonthill

Where: Fonthill Lake, Wiltshire

How much: Weekends from £590

Why: The restaurant at The Beckford Arms,

which overlooks Fonthill Lake, does brilliant

things with local produce. In winter, stone

grottos peek from tangles of frost-laced

foliage and a morning mist hangs over

the water.

Offering easy walks around the 9,000-

acre Fonthill Estate, The Arch, brainchild

of Beckford group boss Charlie Luxton and

Patrick O’Donnell of Farrow & Ball, is the

pub’s new self-catering property and opened

in September. Standing imperiously above the

entrance road to the estate, the three-floor

beauty was built in 1755 and is Grade I-listed.

Inside, the aesthetic is Georgian utilitarian.

The country kitchen is painted in Farrow

& Ball’s new Stirabout, and red and white

vinyl tiles by Harvey Maria dress the floor.

Furniture was picked up at local auction

houses and the main bedroom upstairs has

an oval window with views over the lake. A

bright blue stone spiral staircase leads to a

second bedroom with bunk beds designed by

Charlie. “The Arch is an extraordinary piece

of architecture,” he says.

The Beckford Arms is a 20-minute walk

away, so “guests can grab a torch and a pair

of wellies, and stroll to the warm glow of the

pub for a hearty meal”.

What’s on the menu? Glazed figs with

whipped goat’s curd, followed by pan-fried

Brixham plaice with new potatoes, and coffee

cream profiteroles.

beckfordarms.com



lordarchitecture

b e s p o k e a r c h i t e c t u r e & i n t e r i o r s

lordarchitecture

bespoke architecture & interiors

Lord Architecture is an award-winning Bath based architectural practice with a passion for design,

Down time

contemporary architecture and the re-imagining of historic buildings. We offer a bespoke service working

Praktyka means ‘practice’ in

across a range of scales, budgets and at all RIBA stages. Polish. This Our is a services place to slow include design consultation, feasibility,

pre-application, planning and listed building applications, down and “do whatever through it is to implementation and construction.

that excites you – whether

that’s art, hiking, yoga, surfing,

reading, writing or just spending

time with people you love”.

lordarchitecture

7-9 NORTH PARADE BUILDINGS

BATH BA1 1NS

E e : info@lordarchitecture.co.uk

: info@lordarchitecture.co.uk

W w :

:

www.lordarchitecture.co.uk

:

@lord_architecture

ONE

ETHE NATUR

What: Praktyka

Where: North Devon

How much: From £120 a night

Why: “We often go down to the coast in

winter just to see the storms,” says Ania

Wawrzkowicz, one-third of the husband-wifeand-son

team (which includes two-year-old

Otto) that brought Praktyka, an eco retreat

and workshop space in north Devon, to life.

The Heartland, a duo of indoor-outdoor

kitchen and accompanying 7.2-metre geodesic

dome, which opened in spring, strikes the

perfect balance between embracing the

outdoors and sheltering from it. Inspired by

Swedish film Kitchen Stories and Hansen’s

open-form architecture, the kitchen is

ergonomic but beautiful. “Some glamping

sites can look a bit sad come winter,” says

Ania. “But this is sculptural and permanent.”

Around it winds an old oak tree, dappling

winter sun onto the deck and through the

circular windows of the outdoor shower

(it’s worth a visit for this shower alone).

The dome is kitted out in G Plan, heavy

texture and moss green. From the bed, you

can watch birds at sunrise and bats at dusk.

Ania offers jewellery workshops: inspiration

gleaned from jars full of shells and driftwood

picked up at the beach. In the pipeline are

retreats, yoga and meditation sessions. The

couple are not big fans of the hackneyed

words ‘wellbeing’ and ‘glamping’. Luckily,

Praktyka is so much more than either.

What’s on the menu? Fish from the

quayside in Appledore or meat from the local

butcher cooked over the wood fire bowl. For

veggies, Ania’s husband Henry can provide

“recipes for turning sweetcorn, cauliflower

and aubergine into the BBQ of dreams”. Plus,

there are plans to convert one of the barns

into a communal eating area.

praktyka.co.uk


THE RIVERSIDE ONE

THE PERFECT

CHRISTMAS GIFT

Desserts

We offer :

Zero Waste Fashion

Adobe Suite • Floristry

Upholstery • Printmaking

Modern Foreign Languages

Jewellery • Creative Writing

Gardening • Life Drawing

Woodworking • Sewing

Painting • Philosophy

Sculpture & more!

Leisure

Courses

Discover a course

that kindles your

love to learn

What: The Leaping Trout

Where: Bickleigh, Devon

How much: Weekends from £3,000

Why: “The Leaping Trout is particularly

magical in winter,” says owner Alice

Deuchar. She describes dips in the hot tub,

fireside cocktails and evenings snuggled

up watching films in this newly-converted

accommodation in Bickleigh, Devon.

The thatched former pub sleeps 30, so

can be hired by extended families and groups

of friends. A garden leads down to decking

above the River Exe and the 12 bedrooms

are named after birdlife that can be spotted

here – ducks, herons and kingfishers.

The huge farmhouse kitchen has forest

green cabinets and ample space for

socialising. Two wood burners in the lounges

keep things warm and homely, while scattered

fairy lights give the place a twinkly, festive

feel. The bar can host a large banquet or be

filled with smaller tables and vintage pub

games, and there’s even a 20-seater cinema

room with vintage red velvet seating and a

popcorn machine.

What’s on the menu? Full catering is an

option, but guests can also cook up a hearty

roast dinner using the kitchen’s electric AGA

or enjoy the quirk of serving themselves

drinks at the original bar area, though

mixologists are provided on request.

theleapingtrout.co.uk


Desserts

Harriet Whyatt Kate Rose Amy Magee

Russell Hatton

Angela Melkis

“I recently purchased a fabulous painting from Clifton Fine Art.

The service was impeccable. The communication throughout was first rate.”

STEVE S

“I’m so pleased we have found Clifton Fine Art. It has a great

selection of quality artwork for all tastes. We’re very pleased

with my purchases from them.”

TINA B

“We recently bought Our Walk by Cat Croxford from Clifton Fine Art and I have

to say, the whole experience was very good indeed.”

ROBIN T

www.cliftonfineart.com 12 Perry Road BS1 5BG

Harry Bunce

THE COUNTRY PUB ONE

What: Wild Thyme & Honey

Where: Ampney Crucis, Gloucestershire

How much: B&B from £150 per night

Why: Welcoming Wild Thyme & Honey is

unlike many upcycled country venues in that

it has made a concerted effort to stay a place

for locals – so much so that the rooms (called

things like The Tickled Trout, The Bee and

The Corinium) were named by regular patrons.

The converted 16th-century inn is still

very much a pub, despite new flourishes

like bespoke upholstered Swiss seating and

a Cotswold stone palette. And the menu is

pure comfort food (we loved the cauliflower

bang bang and prawn cocktail). But out

in the courtyard, with sheepskins strewn

over wooden benches, string lights and an

Argentine fire pit, it all feels quite Narnia.

Surrounding it are 24 oat-coloured rooms

decked out in prints by Sam Scale, Bramley

products and textiles from Bronte by Moon.

Manager Anca Susman is a self-confessed

Christmas fanatic, so winter guests can expect

candles, towering trees and roaring fires. The

Wi-Fi is patchy at best, but there are better

things to do. Take a bath in the roll-top tub

in your room (best accompanied by a swig

of complimentary sloe gin), grab one of the

hotel’s bicycles and gad about Ampney Crucis,

or dine in one of the weather-proof orbs open

all year round.

What’s on the menu? Wine! Try out the

vending machine which dishes out cellar

wines by the ‘taste’ (25ml), ‘like’ (125ml)

and ‘love’ (175ml). There are rumours of the

addition of beehives to make honey onsite.

wildthymeandhoney.co.uk


DRINKS

Whimsical wine pairings

+ Whisky’s new direction

The Great Wine Co.

The finest wines and spirits since 1983

Photography: Rick Barrett at Unsplash

The Great Wine Company,

Wells Road, Bath BA2 3AP

Shop - Open to public

Customer car parking

www.greatwine.co.uk


Wine list

DOUBLE

ACTS

Light up

the holidays!

A gaggle of our favourite wine

makers and sellers suggest their

winning winter pairings

Illustrations

Yee Poon

1–31 December 2022

Don’t miss out, book now

americanmuseum.org/christmas


Wine list

BREWED oN

THE EDGE OF BATH

VISIT OUR TAPROOM

CRAFT BEER • STREET FOOD • MUSIC

Kask Wine, Bristol

Brand Brothers Stein & Fels

Riesling + tacos

“This German Riesling from the Brand

Brothers is an absolute stunner,”

says Kask Wine co-founder Charlie

Taylor. “We paired it with fish tacos

by Basement 17 Tacos in our dining

hall. Why? Because it has a strong

lime note, so a small glass of this is

like squeezing half a lime onto your

plate.” Also, a wine with high acidity

like this is perfect to cut through the

taste of the batter.

kaskwine.co.uk

THU 5-10 • FRI 5-10 • SAT 2-10 • SUN 2-6

PUB

QUIZ

BEAR CLEVER

(pub quiz)

Come on down for our monthly quiz,

hosted by J Turner on the third Thursday

of every month.

£50 bar tab to be won.

THE FRY GUY

(dirty fries)

Taproom debuet! Hailing from Salisbury

The Fry Guy offers a selection of dirty

fries, nachos and more.

Vegan options available.

LUVAH • ORTLIEB

(dj set)

Join Luvah, Ortlieb & friends as they bring

some house, garage and break beat

flavours to the taproom. To be served with

a fresh pint and dirty fries.

ONLY FOOLS & MORSELS

(pizza & burgers)

IT’S WORLD CUP FINAL DAY!!!!

Watch the biggest sporting event of the

year with craft beer & street food.

KOKODOO

(korean chicken)

Street food starring juicy, crispy

Korean Fried Chicken and other freshly

made treats such as cauliflower wings.

Join us for the last taproom of the year.

ELECTRIC BEAR BREWING CO.

UNIT 12 THE MALTINGS

BATH BA1 3JL

WHATS ON

FIFA WORLD CUP

The Fifa World Cup is finally here and it’s

time to get supporting. We’ll be showing

every game during taproom hours on the

big screen.

THU 15

DEC

FRI 16

SAT 17

DEC

FRI 16

DEC

SUN 18

DEC

FRI 23

DEC

20 NOV

-

18 DEC

for more info VISIT

electricbearbrewing.com

The Great Wine Co, Bath

Hattingley Valley Classic Reserve

Brut NV + fish and chips

“Pale gold in colour and with an

abundance of fine bubbles, this wine

has baked apple, creamy nougat

and brioche on the nose, with hints

of toast and fresh red fruit,” says

Great Wine Co’s Edward Mercer.

The classic English sparkling wine

from Hampshire pairs very well with

flaky fish and well-cooked chips, he

advises. “It’s a match that always

surprises people.”

greatwine.co.uk

Dunleavy, Somerset

Rosé + curry

“Our 2021 rosé is pretty versatile and

goes really well with salty and spicy

food,” says Dunleavy owner, Ingrid

Bates. “The saltiness and spice brings

out the full fruitiness in the wine –

which has a vibrant salmon colour,

strawberry overtones, and is light and

dry with a simple, precise finish.” Try

it with a murg butter masala from

Rock Salt on Cotham Hill, Bristol.

dunleavyvineyards.co.uk

Limeburn Hill Vineyard, Bristol

Pet Nat Amber, Beltain

+ tartiflette

Amber wines are fermented with

the skins, which brings savoury

flavours. This biodynamic wine

has notes of grapefruit skin, stone

fruit and lychee. “It goes beautifully

with rich cheese dishes, so is great

with anything from a ski chalet!”

says Limeburn winemaker, Robin

Snowdon. “Tartiflette would be

perfect – the apricot and grapefruit

balance the cheesy flavours.”

limeburnhillvineyard.co.uk


Digestif

Find Us 18 Market Place, Tetbury GL8 8DD

Opening Hours Tuesday-Saturday 10-3pm

Contact Us info@taylorblack.co.uk or visit www.taylorblack.co.uk

@taylorblackjewellery

In the spirit

AT THE

No longer the preserve of the Scottish

Highlands, we visit two distilleries putting

our region on the whisky map

Physiotherapy & Wellbeing

Specialising in pain relief, injury and musculoskeletal conditions

Words

Photography

Nick Moyle

Ed Schofield

Physiotherapy • Soft Tissue Therapy • Nutrition Therapy • MBST ® Therapy

At The Core, Unit 3, Beehive Yard, Walcot Street, Bath, BA1 5BT info@thecore.health | 01225 46 1205


Digestif

Opposite page: Circumstance

co-founder Liam Hirt

Left: Barrelled whisky

Below: A mash tun, where grain is

mashed to extract the sugar

icture a whisky distillery and you might summon

up images of an old, historic building amid dramatic

Scottish scenery – beside a rolling river or

overlooking a craggy, wild shoreline.

But these days, successful whiskies are being made

throughout the world, often using ingredients and

production methods that break new grounds, and

England is leading the way. Here in the south-west,

there are two exciting distilleries shaking things up

– Circumstance Distillery, making Bristol’s first

whisky in over 80 years, and Frome’s Retribution

Distilling Co, believed to be a first for Somerset.

Both operations seem far removed from those images

of archetypical Scottish distilleries – Circumstance is

situated in an unremarkable-looking trading estate at

the end of a terraced street in Easton, while Retribution

is squeezed into some old barns a few miles from town

(with a horse and pony for neighbours).

Whisky is essentially a simple drink – a fermented

mash of grains (much like beer) that is distilled and aged

in wooden barrels – and the Scots have perfected the

craft over centuries. But when deciding on what kind

of whiskies they wanted to make, both Circumstance

and Retribution cast their eyes further afield. As

Circumstance’s co-founder and owner, Liam Hirt, tells

us: “We always knew that modern whisky was about

flavour rather than age. We looked to distilleries that

were producing excellent whiskies, even though they

weren’t aged for very long. Whisky needs a minimum of

three years in barrels in Europe but this is not the case

in the rest of the world. There were distillers in the US

like Blue Ridge Distilling making flavoursome young

whiskies and only ageing them for six months. We took

inspiration from them.”

Creating a flavoursome spirit straight off the still

(known as a ‘new make spirit’) is something that

Retribution’s owner, Richard Lock, was keen to achieve

too, and he also cast his net far and wide. “When the

distillery was in the planning phase I would try to



Digestif

TASTING NOTES

We sampled both

Circumstance’s

initial whisky

release and

Retribution’s

whisky-in-progress,

giving us a taste of

what to expect in

the future.

Circumstance

Distillery Single

Grain Whisky,

44.5%

This first release

is distilled from

organic barley, a

portion of which is

unmalted, making

it closer to an Irish

whiskey in style. It

feels slightly creamy

and has an enticing,

smooth vanilla

sweetness alongside

some pronounced

grainy flavours, with

a fresh, spicy finish.

Retribution

Distilling Co

14-Month New

Make, 64%

Despite its youth,

this spirit has

already taken on

plenty of oak and

vanilla flavours from

the ex-bourbon cask

it has been resting

in. There’s a natural

fruitiness to it, while

some deliciously

warming winter

spices linger long in

the mouth. A very

exciting prospect.

get information from all sorts of places. One great

source was a podcast called Distillery Nation. Two of the

early podcast interviews were with Bill Lark of Lark

Distillery in Australia and Karen Hoskin of Montanya

Distillery in the US. Those interviews really shaped

the distillery in the early days. Our 400-litre copper

alembic still and fire box design is based on the original

Montanya Distillery setup and I am now a massive fan

of direct flame on copper and the flavour impact it has.”

A labour of love

Richard is quite unique in the whisky-making

world. While most new distilleries start with a huge

investment and team of staff, Retribution is currently

a one-man operation. He manages the whole process

himself and the financial challenges that brings. “As

a small distillery, laying down casks of spirit and

trying to expand means cash flow is best described as

‘interesting’,” he admits. “We spend the majority of

time making products that we can’t sell for a minimum

of three years, some of which we won’t sell for 18 years.

So we also produce several other spirits – white rum,

spiced rum and a range of gins.” These products can be

made and sold without the need for maturation, and

the rum, produced on his direct-flame copper still, has

Opposite page: The team at

Circumstance: Liam Hirt, Steph

Peck (also pictured above left),

Mark Scott, Matthew Keegan,

Andrew Osbourne and Buster

Above right: Molasses used in

whisky-making

already won several major awards and is helping to

generate interest in the whisky, with the first release

due at the end of 2024.

While Richard’s dream was always to make whisky,

Circumstance was established on the back of the

success of its sister company Psychopomp, which

produces innovative small batch botanical spirits,

including gin, absinthe and aquavit. A success which

is largely down to a creative, experimental flair. “Our

whiskies push the boundaries of what modern whisky

is and can be,” Liam says. “And our approach to

fermentation is a good example of this. The normal

length of a fermentation is 36-40 hours. Longer

fermentations build more flavour, so there has been

a small trend towards fermentations of 70-90 hours.

Our fermentations last over 300 hours and build an

incredible amount of flavour.”

Liam puts much of this urge to innovate down to the

distillery’s Bristol location. “Without the inspiration of

such a vibrant, creative city we may never have pushed

the boundaries the way that we have. We are very proud

of our city, and we want our city to be proud of us.”



BEST WHISKY DENS

Digestif

Bath

The Hideout

Allegedly once a cavern for

“every lawless reprobate

around” – it’s now Bath’s

only true whisky bar, in a

wonderful Georgian setting.

hideoutbath.co.uk

A complete building solution,

from initial planning all the

way through to completion

01225 874676

info@sbsdesignandbuild.com

@sbsdesignandbuild

sbsdesignandbuild.com

Expert media and IP advice...

without the London lawyer costs

www.battens.co.uk

Scan to find out

more about us

“A highly responsive and knowledgeable lawyer with a wide

range of experience internationally, Brian Levine is usually

available and efficient in providing necessary guidance when

needed urgently.”

Legal 500

0800 652 8373 | enquiries@battens.co.uk

Offices in Castle Cary and Bath

Besides using unusual grains, yeasts and casks

(including chestnut), their experimental streak has led

to collaborations with Bristol breweries and even a

cidermaker, with a promising wheat whisky currently

maturing in a barrel that once contained cider. They are

keen for locals to share in their success, initially raising

funds through tokens that can be swapped for the

whisky when it’s ready. They have also ensured there

are plenty of bars that stock their products – and with

the first release selling out in just nine minutes earlier

this year, it’s the only way many will be able to taste it.

At Retribution, Richard is also keen to use local

resources wherever possible. “We use grain from

Somerset and Wiltshire, and we are talking to a farmer

about growing our own grain so we can have greater

control over our raw materials.” Now that Richard has

his first whisky safely maturing in oak he’s looking to

diversify into other grains, starting with rye later this

year, before moving onto oats.

This modern approach makes it an exciting time to

be a whisky drinker and, although Scotland will always

be the spirit’s traditional home, those seeking new and

interesting flavours can now look to the west for their

next dram.

retributiondistilling.co.uk

circumstancedistillery.com

Left: Once it has

been fermented, liquid

is transferred into a still

for distilling

Right: Circumstance

experiments with

unusual grains and long

fermentation times

Frome

HydeAway

Prohibition-style secret

drinking spot serving up

a generous selection of

whisky-based cocktails.

You just have to find it first.

@hydeawayfrome

Bristol

The Milk Thistle

Twists and turns on classic

cocktails, plus tastings,

rum club – and a hireable

whisky vault with bottles

from around the world.

milkthistlebristol.com


9 . 3 0 A M - 6 P M

DIRECTORY

Showcasing independent

businesses in the south-west

WOULD YOU LIKE

TO BE INCLUDED IN THE

CIRCUS DIRECTORY? EMAIL


Traditional Gentlemen's Barber

T U E S DAY - FRIDAY

SATURDAY

S U N DAY - MONDAY

9 . 0 0 A M - 3 P M

C L O S E D

P P O I N T M E N T S A N D W A L K - I N S

A

I D C O M B E B A 2 4 N G

W

O O K O N L I N E B O O K S Y A P P

B

W W . F I N E A N D D A N D Y B A R B E R S . C O M

W

Shop in store or online

Commission and reworking service available

33 Park Street, Bristol, BS1 5NH

T: +44(0)117 9090225

www.dianaporter.co.uk

Photography: Felix Russell-Saw

SHOPPING

Sprouts of Bristol

So much more than a plant shop, Sprouts stocks botanicallythemed

gifts and homeware from over 50 indie brands, artists,

designers and craftspeople. Plus, there’s a diverse range of

plants and the best plant care brands in UK.

sproutsofbristol.co.uk

DP_Circus_Winter2022.indd 1 21/11/2022 11:04:18


Promoted content

Day Bowman, Plashy Place 5

SHOPPING

BAM Store + Space

A non-profit independent shop

in Easton selling art, cards, gifts,

books, vinyl, toys, games and

other treats designed to provide

a mood boost. Shop in-store or

online, and check out the creative

workshops with local makers

in this happy, colourful place.

bambristol.co.uk

ART

Sandra Higgins Art

A tailored art advisory service,

helping clients build art collections

in their homes or commercial

spaces. Alongside sourcing work

from established artists, Sandra

can arrange visits to their studios.

Plus, a selection of works can be

viewed in Sandra’s online gallery.

sandrahiggins.art

WELLBEING

Yoga with Eliana

Bristol’s back-to-basics yoga class.

Eliana offers accessible yoga for

beginners, with the intention of

growing confidence in a studio

environment. She breaks down

key yogic teachings in a fun way

and builds the foundations of

a rounded yoga practice.

yogawitheliana.co.uk

FOOD + DRINK

Corkage

An award-winning restaurant, bar

and bottle shop in Bath, serving

seasonal dishes using local

produce. Wine comes from across

the globe and is served by the

bottle or glass. Check the website

for the latest Christmas and New

Year opening times.

corkagebath.com

SERVICES

Manage My Website

A friendly Bath-based team of

experts who can build great

websites, train people to use

Squarespace, and advise on SEO

and online marketing. Get in

touch if you need a new website,

a refresh or would like to learn to

build your own.

managemywebsite.com

WORKSPACE

House of St John’s

The perfect place to work, connect

and grow. The elegant building

at 1 Queen Square, Bath, offers coworking,

dedicated desks, offices,

meeting rooms and an events

space. Premium fittings and ultrafast

broadband are complemented

by a relaxing lounge and bar.

hosj.co.uk

FOOD + DRINK

Lo Rapitenc

This Frome deli and tapas bar sells

a range of Spanish specialities

in-store and online. Serving small

plates and daily specials, it’s the

perfect cosy venue for a party

or gathering. Check the website

and socials for events and new

Christmas hampers.

lorapitencspanishfood.com

SERVICES

Obladee

Graphic designers aiming to

create social and commercial

impact. Obladee is a design

partnership with over 25 years

of collective experience, using a

purpose-led process to improve

business results while positively

impacting the planet.

obladee.co.uk

SERVICES

We Are The Loves

A creative studio that helps your

business attract and engage

the best people by unearthing

human stories that demonstrate

your culture and values, bringing

them to life through films and

photography, all wrapped up in

impactful design.

wearetheloves.agency

SHOPPING

Julia Davey

An independent lifestyle shop in

Bath, with a focus on locally made

gifts and homeware, including

Julia’s handmade lampshades and

upholstered furniture. Curation is

based on colour, form and natural

materials. Use the code CIRCUS

for 10% off online.

juliadavey.com

SERVICES

Noughts & Ones

The people at Bristol-based

agency Noughts & Ones are

champions of sustainable

commerce. The all-round lovely

bunch partner with planetconscious

ecommerce brands

to help them sell their products

the right way on Shopify.

noughtsandones.com

WORKSPACE

Rengen House

A home-from-home community

to co-work, host meetings and

events, and relax with clients

or colleagues. With a high-end

finish and cool, laid-back vibe,

Rengen House offers a refreshing

change to the traditional

office environment.

rengenhouse.com



Promoted content

FOOD + DRINK

Retribution Distilling Co

Whisky, rum and gin distillery

based in Frome. Retribution is

the first distillery to start whisky

production in Somerset, and uses

local ingredients to produce a

truly local spirit. The rums and

gins have won awards, both

regionally and internationally.

retributiondistilling.co.uk

SERVICES

Customer IQ

Are you the founder of a new

business, or are you planning

on leading a start-up? If so, then

validation of your business idea

with market research could be

a game-changer for you. Get in

touch with Gideon at Customer IQ

for free advice.

customer-iq.com

SHOPPING

Potters

A cooperative shop and gallery

in the Christmas Steps Arts

Quarter. Run by the members for

the members, Potters is currently

interviewing new applicants to

join them. Guest potters include

Jessica Thorn Ceramics and

Marina Bauguil.

pottersbristol.com

FOOD + DRINK

Iford Manor Kitchen

Restaurant and café with awardwinning

head chef Matthew

Briddon. Dishes celebrate the best

of the south-west, many sourced

from the farm and walled garden

on the Iford Manor Estate. Expect

jazz Sunday lunches, supper clubs,

sourdough-making and more.

ifordmanor.co.uk/restaurant

SERVICES

McKenzie & Co Financial

Consultants

Financial adviser Jonathan Knee

DipPFS specialises in providing

high-quality, face-to-face financial

planning advice for individuals,

families and businesses. A

vouched for ‘Top Rated’ adviser

in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

linktr.ee/jonathanknee

SHOPPING

Honey Willow

A homegrown independent

jewellery shop on historic Pulteney

Bridge. Running since 2010, the

company is named after the

owners’ daughters: Honey and

Willow. Meaningful, personalised

jewellery is designed and handmade

in the Bath workshop.

honeywillow.com

LIFESTYLE

MAMA Coaching

Bristol-based support for parents

to flourish – in creativity and

business. Online and in-person

1:1 and group sessions create the

time and space for reflection, and

provide the accountability to make

tangible progress. Programmes

run during term-time only.

mamacoaching.org

PROPERTY

The Curated Property Company

A bespoke high-tech property

management company in Bath and

London. Using cutting-edge data

analytics, international marketing

platforms, guest vetting and

dynamic pricing, the team brings a

more profitable perspective to the

world of short-term letting.

curated-property.com

SERVICES

Plural Studio

An architectural design studio

born in Berlin and based in

Bristol. Whether in the cultural,

commercial, educational or

residential sector, Plural offers

architectural, interior and furniture

design, delivering sustainable

material choices to fit your needs.

plural-studio.net

SHOPPING

Truce

An independent lifestyle store

based in Clifton Village, Bristol.

Featuring a selection of modern

design pieces, from Scandinavian

homeware and statement furniture

to home scents, accessories and

menswear. Visit in-store or shop

online, with free delivery over £25.

truceonline.co.uk

SHOPPING

Luca & Fig

A home, gift and clothing shop in

Widcombe, Bath, just over the river

behind the station. Find a mix of

beautiful, unusual and affordable

gifts for everyone. Luca & Fig

sources everything from ethical

suppliers around the world, as

well as supporting local makers.

lucaandfig.com

SHOPPING

The Bristol Artisan

Have the jolliest Christmas with a

little help from The Bristol Artisan!

Discover the perfect place to relax

and shop for one-off, handmade

and sustainable seasonal cards,

wrapping paper, Christmas

decorations and gifts for every

family member.

thebristolartisan.com


THE EDIT

The

GUIDE

For clothes that mean more,

that add to the story of our lives.

50 awesome events in

December + January

Words

Clemmie Millbank

16 The Mall, Bristol, BS8 4DR

saharalondon.com

Room to

be me

IF YOU WOULD LIKE

TO PROMOTE YOUR

EVENTS ON THESE

PAGES, PLEASE EMAIL


Open Morning Friday 3 February, 9:30am-12 noon

3-11 years | paragonschool.co.uk

Photography: Ponyo and Kiev by Casey Lazonick

Pink Lady® Food

Photographer

of the Year at RPS


Guide

THE EDIT

7 October 2022

to 8 January 2023

National Gallery

Contemporary Fellowship

with Art Fund

The National Gallery

Modern and Contemporary

Programme is supported by

Exhibition organised with

All details correct at the time of going to press. Please check event websites and social media for updates.

FOOD + DRINK

Burns Night Feast at High Grange

Late Night Shopping

Psychopomp

Microdistillery, Bristol

December 10

The secret to making Christmas

shopping fun? Gin. Pop into the

microdistillery, where for one night

the bar is open and you can sip a

bubbling G&T while you browse.

microdistillery.co.uk

Festive Treats: Mince pies

and Brandy Butter

Thyme, Lechlade

December 11

Master the perfect mince pies and

learn the mysteries of Grandma

Hibbert’s secret brandy butter

recipe with a merry lesson in the

beautiful Thyme kitchen.

thyme.co.uk

Sri Lankan Cookery Class

Cooking it, Bristol

December 12

A home-style cooking experience,

with chef Tilly sharing her

expertise and stories about food

and Sri Lankan culture. Leave with

some tasty dishes up your sleeve.

migrateful.org

Tea School: Exploration –

Green Tea

Comins Tea, Bath

December 13

Offset festive indulgences with

a detoxifying cuppa at this

one-hour session dedicated to

exploring a variety of green teas.

cominstea.com

Winter Solstice Cacao

Ceremony

Elevate Studio, Bristol

December 21

Join in a Mayan tradition, deciding

what to take with you as the

lighter months approach and

what to leave behind in the dark.

thedreamingcircle.org

The 12 Drinks of Bedminster

Beer Trail

Venues across Bedminster

Throughout December

Hop between 17 of the area’s

best bars, microbreweries, pubs

and bottle shops, collecting a

stamp from each. Cheers!

@bedminsterbeertrail

Friday Fizz and Chips

Woodchester Vineyard, Stroud

December 30 + January 27

On the last Friday of every month

it’s time to pair together two of

life’s greatest pleasures – delicious

locally made fizz and Stroudfavourite

Simpsons fish and chips.

woodchestervalleyvineyard.co.uk

Introduction to Bread Making

with Richard Bertinet

The Bertinet Kitchen, Bath

January 16

Show that dough who’s boss and

learn bread-making basics from

a certified Master Baker. Don’t

forget to bring a bag to take home

your freshly-baked creations.

thebertinetkitchen.com

Burns Night Feast

High Grange, Axminster

January 25

Feast on a five-course fireside

menu (including obligatory

haggis, neeps and tatties) while

a traditional piper plays in the

magical woodland setting.

highgrangedevon.com

Pasta Making

Pasta Laboratory, Bath

Fridays and Saturdays

throughout winter

Federico and his highly-skilled

crew will hand over the secrets

to making the perfect tagliatelle

and tagliolini in this tasty twohour

session.

pastalaboratory.co.uk


Guide

THE EDIT

ART

Pink Lady® Food Photographer

of the Year

RPS, Paintworks, Bristol

Until December 11

Gorge yourself on a visual feast of

expression, with over 20 competitive

categories, ranging from the Politics

of Food to Food Portraiture.

pinkladyfoodphotographeroftheyear.com

Bath Contemporary Artists’ Fair

Green Park Station, Bath

December 11

Pick up some original Christmas

gifts and support local artists at this

diverse art fair in one of Bath’s most

beautiful events spaces.

bcaf.co.uk

Joan Miró: An Exhibition of

Original Prints

The Paragon Gallery,

Cheltenham

Until December 24

Stunning, colourful lithographs,

etchings, woodcuts and pochoirs

from the Barcelona-born master

of surrealism.

paragongallery.co.uk

Fabian Peake: An Eye

Either Side

Hauser & Wirth, Bruton

Until January 2

Celebrating his 80th birthday, this

landmark exhibition brings together

all six decades of Fabian Peake’s

work as an artist and writer.

hauserwirth.com

Alberta Whittle: Dipping below

a Waxing Moon, the Dance

Claims Us For Release

The Holburne, Bath

January 27 – May 8

Whittle’s first exhibition in a public

museum will showcase a suite of

newly commissioned sculptures, as

well as a series of new text-based

works on billboards across Bath.

holburne.org

Bharti Kher: The Body is a Place

Arnolfini, Bristol

Until January 29

Weaving together the worlds of

science and art, internationally

renowned artist Bharti Kher is

bringing new and previously unseen

work to a unique solo exhibition in

Bristol’s harbourside gallery.

arnolfini.org.uk

Sweet Patootee Arts:

Turning Point

Bristol Museum

Until March 5

A series of short films, starring

actors including Paterson Joseph

and Suzette Llewellyn, inspired by

histories of the black Caribbean

experience after the First World War.

bristolmuseums.org.uk

Wildlife Photographer of the

Year 2022

M Shed, Bristol

Until May 29

A hundred evocative images from

across the natural world are brought

together for the 58th year.

bristolmuseums.org.uk

Jem Southam: A Bend in

the River

RWA, Bristol

January 28 – May 1

The Bristol photographer explores

his surroundings through a lens.

Inspired by one particular riverbank

spot over the course of five years.

rwa.org.uk

Revolution, Propaganda, Art:

Printmaking in Modern China

Museum of East Asian Art, Bath

Until June 3

Take a trip across modern China

and explore the trends, political

movements and advancements

in technology, with this series of

carefully curated prints.

meaa.org.uk

©Fabian Peake. Courtesy of the artist and Hauser & Wirth, photography: Peter Mallet. ©Bharti Kher. Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin, photography: Claire Dorn

Bharti Kher at Arnolfini

Alberta Whittle

at The Holburne

Fabian Peake at Hauser & Wirth



Promoted listings

Guide

THE EDIT

G I F T

11 experience gift

ideas from Yuup

I D E A S

Clay Club Pottery Making

Bedminster

Make pottery with a choice

of clays in this self-directed

workshop on North Street. You’ll

have access to all of the tools and

equipment, and a pottery wheel

to make whatever you fancy.

Wine and Cheese Tasting

Bedminster

Try three natural wines selected

from independent growers for

their flavour and low-intervention

production, all paired with

cheese. Perfect for a date night.

Foraging for Edible and

Medicinal Plants

Various Bristol locations

Discover the edible and medicinal

plants that are hidden in plain

sight. Learn how to identify and

use different plants, and where

and when to find them.

Axe Throwing

Kelston Roundhill

For outdoorsy types with a

competitive streak. Try out

different types of axes, play

games, enjoy the woodland

scenery and go full Viking just

outside of Bath.

Haunted and Hidden Walk

Bristol City Centre

One of Bristol’s oldest ghostly

walking tours, taking you to iconic

locations full of dark histories,

secrets and dastardly deeds.

In partnership with

Yuup

Bristol Cider Tasting Tour

Bristol Harbourside

Take a tour of the west’s greatest

export! Learn about the history

and heritage of cider, complete

with tastings and trivia. Features

a tasty pitstop at a local

cheesemonger.

Brewery and Tap Room Beer

Tasting Tour

Temple Meads

An audio tour for two around

some of Bristol’s best breweries

and tap rooms. Includes a table

booking at one of the locations

and tastings of the delicious beers

made onsite.

Belly Laughs Bath

Various locations

Bristol’s favourite pop-up food

and stand-up comedy festival has

just launched in Bath to banish

the January blues. Bath venues

will be serving up delicious food,

while guests are entertained by a

surprise comedian.

Gin Lover’s Masterclass

Cotham

Uncover the magic of gin in a

microdistillery that makes some

of the best spirits in Bristol.

Enjoy a guided tasting and

learn how gin is made.

Be a Barista Masterclass

Hengrove

Discover the science behind a

smooth flavour and an expert

finish. Coffee lovers will love

learning different techniques and

how to identify an excellent coffee.

Stand-up Paddleboarding

Bristol Harbourside

Learn how to paddleboard with

an instructor, then take to the

water to see Bristol from a whole

new perspective.

Visit yuup.co to find Christmas

gifts for everyone on your list

WORKSHOPS

Fresh Christmas Wreath

Foraged Festive Decorations

Making Workshops

The Newt in Somerset, Bruton

Hosted by Bath Carnival

December 14 + 15

at The Grapes

Join The Newt’s resident

December 8-10

floriculturist for a forage through

Using a sustainable moss base, the woodlands to gather

add fresh and dried foliage to materials, then use them to

make your own spectacular wreath. create natural decorations.

To get in the festive spirit, add a Finish with a sublime lunch at

glass of fizz to your booking. the Garden Café.

bathcarnival.co.uk

thenewtinsomerset.com

Beginners Stained Glass

Workshop

Glass & Arrow Studios,

Clevedon

December 9

Learn to cut and solder, surrounded

by Clevedon’s sea views. Take

home your feather or honeycomb

suncatcher to proudly display in

your window.

@glassandarrow

Lino printing

at Creative

Space

Watercolour Workshop with

Katie Rose Johnson

Meadows Painswick, Stroud

December 15

A floral watercolour workshop

with illustrator Katie Rose

Johnson, inspired by the romance

of the night. All materials are

included – as are mulled wine and

mince pies to keep spirits high.

meadows-store.com

Make Your Own Lino Print

Wrapping Paper

Creative Space, Bristol

December 17

Designed to give you a bit of

headspace during the busy season,

this joyful introduction to lino

printing is the festive tonic we all

need. Plus, you’ll leave with some

snazzy new wrapping paper!

slowsunday.co.uk

Spirit of Deer: A Workshop

with Clare Viner

East Quay, Watchet

December 18

Journey through moonlit forests

with this workshop inspired by the

spirit of deer. Prepare for creative

storytelling and guided meditation.

eastquaywatchet.co.uk

Being Human: Our Journey

Through Meaning

Hamilton House, Bristol

Throughout January

From Australopithecus to Gen Z,

this fascinating series of lectures

examine what it means to be human.

Sign up for the whole course or

drop in for a one-off talk.

hamilton-house.org

Wild Medicine Cabinet:

Medicinal Mushrooms

42 Acres, Frome

January 19

Learn how to forage, identify, dry

and powder native fungi with this

full-day course, including a tasty

lunch from the 42 Mile Menu.

42acres.com

Ivy and Hazel Basket Weaving

The Hub, Fedden Buildings,

Bristol

January 21

Join wood crafter Steve England to

forage around Stoke Park for basketmaking

materials, then return to The

Hub to start weaving. Leave with

new skills and your own basket.

steveengland.co.uk

Patchwork Workshop

BAM Store + Space, Bristol

January 29

Textile artist Miesje Chafer runs this

beginner’s hand-sewing workshop,

where you will learn how to create

something beautiful from leftover

scraps of fabric.

bambristol.co.uk



Guide

THE EDIT

Fabian Peake

an eye either side

Until 2 January 2023

Durslade Farm, Bruton, Somerset BA10 0NL

www.hauserwirth.com

Pierrot’s Message (detail), 1972, oil on canvas, 182 x 243 cm / 71 5/8 x 95 5/8 in

© Fabian Peake. Courtesy the Artist and Hauser & Wirth. Photo: Fabian Peake

01172022021_HWSO_150x130_5_Peake_Circus_Ad.indd 1 15.09.22 08:38

REVOLUTION,

PROPAGANDA,

ART:

Printmaking

in Modern China

12 October 2022 - 3 June 2023

SEASONAL

Enchanted Garden of Light

American Museum, Bath

Throughout December

Get lost in this magical afterdark

adventure, where bright

colours light up the night sky

in beautiful grounds.

americanmuseum.org

Enchanted Christmas

Westonbirt Arboretum,

Gloucestershire

Fridays and Saturdays in December

Santa’s mischievous elves have

been busy covering the trees in

twinkly lights and magic.

forestryengland.uk

Christmas Advent Trail

Prior Park Landscape Garden

Throughout December

Avoid the crowds and soak up some

tranquillity on Prior Park’s advent

trail, with 24 doors and plenty of

festive finds to discover.

nationaltrust.org.uk

Frome Frost Fair

Cheese & Grain, Frome

December 1-24

A new outdoor market with a huge

variety of stalls, live entertainment

and visual shows.

cheeseandgrain.com

Made in Bristol Gift Fair

Bristol Beacon

December 10 + 11

Bristol’s best crafters take over

the Beacon foyer to showcase

thousands of original gifts.

madeinbristolshop.co.uk

Romeo + Juliet Christmas Party

Propyard, Bristol

December 16

You’re invited to a banquet at the

House of Montague, where there

will be feasting, fabulousness and

fish tank photo ops – so come

crush a cup of wine!

propyard.co.uk

Portishead Popsicle Cold

Water Gala

Portishead Open Air Pool

December 19

Get your Wim Hof on at this all-day

cold water swimming fundraiser.

Festive fancy dress is encouraged,

and competitors can thaw out in

the hot tub with a glass of mulled

wine afterwards.

portisheadopenairpool.org.uk

Carols by Candlelight

Wells Cathedral

December 19, 20 + 21

Not feeling the Christmas vibes yet?

These spellbinding concerts in

one of Somerset’s most historic

locations should do the trick.

wellscathedral.org.uk

Boxing Day Swim

Clevedon Marine Lake

December 26

Freeze away the Xmas lethargy by

joining the Adventure Girls Club for

a swim in Clevedon Marine Lake.

theadventuregirls.club

In Partnership with The Muban Educational Trust

Local Makers Market

St Margaret’s Hall,

Bradford on Avon

December 10

This charming market offers

up food, gifts and more from

talented locals.

@the_local_makers_market

Made in Bristol Gift Fair


Guide

THE EDIT

VISIT OUR SHOWROOM

Walcot Street, Bath

JIM-LAWRENCE.CO.UK

Bristol Beacon Presents

Kayhan Kalhor

& Erdal Erzincan

Sun 22 Jan 2023, 8pm

St George’s Bristol

Fusing the classical

music traditions of Persia

and Ottoman Turkey

Tickets: bristolbeacon.org

& stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

LIVE PERFORMANCE

Belle and Sebastian

The Old Vic

Until January 8

A classic family tale about the

friendship between a boy and his

dog, set against the backdrop of

beautiful yet perilous mountains.

bristololdvic.org.uk

Brook Tate’s Menagerie

St George’s, Bristol

December 7

Not many shows feature a whale

named Gayle, or a trans-special

giraffe named Martha, but Brook

Tate’s blend of soul, folk, live

illustration, theatre and drag is

anything but predictable.

stgeorgesbristol.co.uk

Dreaming the Great Bear: The

Kalevala, by Nick Hennessey

The Cube, Bristol

December 8

Storyteller, musician and singer

Nick Hennessey brings to life

Finnish folklore and mythology

with an elemental performance

of epic proportions.

cubecinema.com

Five Children and It

The Egg, Bath

December 9 – January 15

Combining history, theatrical

tricks, silliness and a sprinkling of

Christmas magic, this production

of E Nesbit’s classic tale is a

wonderful example of proper

family theatre.

theatreroyal.org.uk

Majesty Presents: Crystal

The Sub Rooms, Stroud

December 10

The series one Drag Race UK

favourite has come to sprinkle

some sparkle over your festive

season with a show that’s filled with

warmth, talent and much hilarity.

thesubrooms.co.uk

Live at Christmas 2022:

Dylan Moran, Mike Wozniak,

Rosie Jones, Celya AB and

John Robins

The Forum, Bath

December 16

Join this assortment of comedy’s

finest figures (with gloriously

grumpy Moran as the headliner) for

a night of pre-Christmas merriment.

bathboxoffice.org.uk

Mad Dog Mcrea

The Prince Albert, Stroud

December 20

Escape Mariah Carey for one

evening and prepare to dance your

socks off to songs of adventure,

love, fairies and pirates, with the

masters of folk rock, pop and

gypsy jazz.

theprincealbertstroud.co.uk

Rozi Plain

Friendly Records, Bristol

January 15

Folk star Plain is showcasing her

new record Prize in south Bristol’s

friendliest venue – tickets are free,

but be sure to bag one early.

friendlyrecords.co.uk

Charm of Finches

Bristol Folk House

January 22

Australian sister duo Charm of

Finches are here to mesmerise you

with their haunting harmonies and

ethereal indie-folk tunes about love,

grief and whispering trees.

bristolfolkhouse.co.uk

Harry Baker: Unashamed

Komedia, Bath

January 24

The youngest ever World Poetry

Slam Champion is back on

stage with his astonishing mix of

wordplay, humour, mathematics

(yep, really) and heart.

komedia.co.uk/bath

BB-KayhanK_ErdalE_Nov-22_Circus_2JE.indd 1 21/11/2022 16:04


Prize draw

Circus +

Julian House

Here’s how just £5 will help the homeless this winter

Scan the QR

code to enter

Introducing our new

bespoke rug and

runner service…

Made to measure rugs and runners

are a great way to decorate your

home and add personality to your

interior, now you can create your

perfect rug or runner in just

4 simple steps using the “Make Me a

Rug” section on our website.

Call us now for an exclusive discount

code, and visit avonvalecarpets.

co.uk/make-me-a-rug to get started

Over the past year, Bath and Bristol

charity, Julian House, has given

substantial support to over 1,600

individuals. The charity is known for

its direct-access 20-bed hostel in Bath, but it is

also deeply committed to assisting those

impacted by domestic abuse and the criminal

justice system. It also has a specialist autism and

Asperger’s supported housing project.

The Julian House staff team looks to

understand why someone has been forced onto

the streets. Common factors include mental

health issues, a family break-up, an addiction,

loss of employment or a trauma from their

childhood. Likewise, the charity helps victims of

domestic abuse to understand how they are

being manipulated and then empowers them to

take control of their own lives – often for the

benefit of any children involved.

The team also supports those who are ready

to re-enter the job market. Its social enterprise

bike workshops in Bath and Trowbridge provide

workplace experience and training – boosting

self-esteem and allowing attendees to take away

a bike they have refurbished and brought back

to road-worthiness themselves.

Enter to win a

hamper

Get your £5 ticket

See p10 for details

before December 16.

Winners will be announced

Fundraising director, Cecil on December 19.

Weir, says: “Providing a bed is crowdfunder.co.uk/

the easy bit. What we strive to do circus-journal

is put a rough sleeper back in a

position where they can sustain their

own accommodation. Or give an abused victim

and their children safety and a fresh start, away

from violence. With the public’s support we’re

doing this 365 days a year.”

Circus would like to heartily thank all of the

small businesses who have generously provided

hamper prizes to support such a worthy local

cause. It’s a difficult time of year for many, and

your donation will go a long way.

julianhouse.org.uk


Laminate • Luxury vinyl tile • Natural • Stain resistant • Tailor made • Vinyl • Wood • Wool

Circus Journal Vol 21

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?