Breakfast at The Plasterer's Arms

The Plasterer's Arms is probably our favourite pub in Norwich, which is quite something as Norwich has an array of fantastic pubs.  The Plasterer's is a proper pub with a modern edge, epitomised by a stunning selection of gins as well as some great real ales and craft beers.  Plus they have lots of cool stuff like Sunday afternoon blues music and a bar billiards table.  And then there is the small matter of Voodoo Daddy's and their bonkers selection of artisan pizzas.

Given our much-publicised love for breakfast/brunch and our love for The Plasterer's, imagine our delight when we saw a post on Facebook informing us that on weekends, breakfast is now served at The Plasterer's from 10am.  Absolutely ideal.

So, we ventured to our local (almost, it's more like the fourth closest pub) on a Sunday morning to try out their breakfast offerings.  The menu is small but includes some American cereals, a nice touch that will please the local hipsters.  It also includes staples like bacon sarnies and some avocado on toast options too, along with a staggering choice of Bloody Marys.

WOTVM decided on smashed avocado and cashew cream on sourdough toast with crispy bacon, whilst Mr Vegan Man went for masala beans on sourdough toast.  We didn't plump for a Bloody Mary on this occasion, instead opting for a coffee for the gentleman and a pint of Coke for the lady (WOTVM doesn't drink hot drinks so this is how she gets her morning caffeine fix).  We paid at the bar and two breakfasts with drinks for £13 was a cracking start.

The food arrived promptly on chintzy plates that were fitting for the quirky setting.  Mr Vegan Man's masala beans were absolutely delicious, made with a tonne of cardamom and with a decent whack of background heat to boot.  The sourdough toast was crunchy with a great tang.  All in all a real treat.

WOTVM's sourdough was, well, pretty much the same as Mr Vegan Man's.  Her toppings, though, were quite different.  The avocado was creamy with a good texture and she loved the cashew cream.  The bacon was really crispy, just how she likes it, and the flavours and textures went together well.

There were a couple of minor gripes; firstly, the cutlery could have been a bit cleaner, there were a one or two food stains on the knife so we gave it a wipe with our napkins.  Secondly, the avocado had gone a bit grey - a little squeeze of lemon juice would have not only added a nice zing and freshness to the dish but would also have helped the avocado to keep its vibrant green colour.  Small details but important nonetheless.

Overall though, we really enjoyed our breakfast and it'll be interesting to see how well-established breakfast at The Plasterer's becomes.  We will certainly be back, it's just down the road from us, is very reasonably-priced, and the food was tasty.  Definitely well worth a try.

Jamie's Italian, Norwich

Wife of the Vegan Man first went to Jamie's Italian in Bath many years ago and can remember exactly what she ate despite the consumption of several cocktails that evening, which is a good reflection on the quality of the food. When Jamie's Italian opened in Norwich WOTVM had mixed feelings, mainly due to the fact that the restaurant was to open in the building that previously housed the much loved Waterstones in the Royal Arcade. On her first visit not long after it opened she was pleased to see that it had been sympathetically renovated (all the restaurants are decorated in keeping with the era of the building) and was looking rather swish.

When we first came to eat here as a couple we must admit that the vegetarian options were limited and the vegan ones pretty non-existent, however as the food is freshly made the staff were always happy to accommodate a cheese hating vegetarian such as Mr Vegan Man. While we don't visit here too often we're pleased to say we have noticed a vast improvement in the veggie/vegan options on offer over the past couple of years. Also, in comparison to some other Italian restaurant chains where pizza is often the highlight of the menu, there's not a pizza in sight at Jamie's Italian. The focus here is more on fresh pastas and mains with an Italian twist.

Our reason for visiting on this occasion was as a Gold Club member (this is free, you can sign up on the website and there is also an app to download) WOTVM had a birthday treat of a free bottle of Prosecco to claim - well, it'd be rude not to really! As a Gold Club member you also get a free taster for everyone on your table and a 'treat' which ranges from £10 off your bill to a free glass of house wine, so it really makes sense to sign up for one.

We were greeted on arrival and quickly seated. The staff here are very friendly and know their stuff, most are happy to recommend a dish or drink if you're having trouble deciding. Our waiter, Francesco, was no exception and quickly bought over the Prosecco wishing us both a happy birthday as it was after WOTVM's and before Mr Vegan Man's birthday.

As it was a celebration we decided to go for the full 3 courses. We both went for antipasti planks for our starters, one meaty, one veggie of course. WOTVM's meat plank was very good indeed, a great selection of Italian meats and cheeses with a fresh slaw and accompanying olives and caper berry. The highlight was the creamy buffalo mozzarella.

Mr Vegan Man's veggie plank came with a good selection of roasted veg antipasti along with some cheesy additions which he coped with as they were quite mild and not melty. A thumbs up all round!

It was at this point we were also brought our free taster which was Italian Nachos - crispy fried cheesy ravioli in a slightly spicy tomato sauce. We got stuck into this, forgetting to take a photo, but can confirm it was tasty, a comforting mix of a classic cheese and tomato combo.

Our mains arrived soon after, WOTVM had gone for a dish she's had before, fresh crab spaghetti. Crab isn't something she gets to have at home very much so this was a real treat. The pasta was cooked perfectly and was tossed in a fresh, lemony sauce which went perfectly with the sweet crab. The addition of some fresh chilli, herbs and pepper made it even more delicious.

Mr Vegan Man went for Ravioli Genovese - green pasta enclosing a primavera filling and served with lovage pesto, hazelnuts and pine nuts.  The pasta was lovely and thin, not too heavy, and cooked right on point.  The filling was fresh and tasty and the pesto added a nice zing, with the nuts adding a bit of extra crunch and flavour to the dish.  The portion size was generous and although the quantity of veggies meant that the dish was not overly heavy, it managed to have a nice richness that made it feel special.  The presentation was stunning too, it looked a real picture.

We were pretty stuffed by this point when the waiter informed WOTVM that she was also entitled to a free chocolate brownie for pudding as part of her birthday treat. Feeling as full as she was she asked if she could perhaps have some ice cream instead - the waiter didn't think we could, be when he returned said he had checked and on this occasion she was in luck (she didn't mention she had done the same dessert swap on her birthday last year). Good ice cream is one of WOTVM's absolute favourite things to eat so when three delicious scoops (2 salted caramel, 1 chocolate) came out smothered in butterscotch sauce she was in her element. Full or not, the pudding stood no chance! 

Mr Vegan Man, in a show of birthday solidarity, also went for ice cream but replaced one scoop of salted caramel with a scoop of vanilla and some crushed honeycomb on top.  It was delightful, the ice cream was smooth and full of flavour.  The perfect way to end a meal.

The bill came in at a shade under £45, which was a cracking bargain considering we'd had three courses, a taster, and a whole bottle of Prosecco.  If nothing else this highlights the great value you get from being a Gold Club member, particularly during birthday month.  Our service was excellent, Francesco was enthusiastic and attentive and did his best to make us feel special.

You can visit Jamie's Italian website here to have a look at their menu, find your local branch and become a Gold Club member.  Enjoy!

Dinner at Benedict's

Benedict's opened in Norwich a little over 12 months ago.  The chef/owner, Richard Bainbridge, had been head chef at the acclaimed Morston Hall but decided to strike out alone.  Hearing Rich speak about his experiences of opening the restaurant is quite inspiring; he had limited financial backing which meant no budget for publicity and so the restaurant opened with little fanfare and no real nest egg to fall back on if times were hard. 

It was a gamble, no doubt, although Rich also knew that his appearance on Great British Menu - one of our favourite programmes - was imminent and would offer the kind of publicity that money can't buy.  For anyone who didn't see Great British Menu, Rich absolutely smashed it.  His starter and dessert bookended the banquet menu, and for good measure his main course was amongst the top three in the series too.  It was a great story after a number of very near misses on the programme and anyone who watched the show will have been taken by Rich's open and affable personality.

Since opening, Benedict's has gone from strength to strength, winning a number of awards locally, an excellent review in the Guardian as well as a write up as one of the UK's best new restaurants in the Times.  We first visited towards the end of 2015 and again at the beginning of April with Mr Vegan Man's brother and his partner.  Both visits were excellent and so for WOTVM's birthday last month, Mr Vegan Man bought her a gift certificate for Benedict's and as Mr Vegan Man's birthday is also coming up, we treated ourselves to another visit this Friday.

Despite the food being very much fine dining - many people feel a Michelin star can't be too far away - the décor and atmosphere at Benedict's is decidedly unfussy.  There are no white tablecloths and complicated place settings.  It is simple, classy and elegant.  The service is friendly and attentive but happily far away from being fussy, formal and overbearing.  We were particularly pleased at the end of the evening when we left and one of the waitresses said goodbye and said "good to see you again" - given this was only our third visit, that was a really nice touch and showed an impressive memory!

On to the food and drink.  As we were seated we were asked if we'd like a drink, a G&T or a glass of fizz.  We decided to go for a G&T which is made with their own blended gin made not far away in Cambridge.  The gin was delicious, a hint of cucumber giving it a similar flavour profile to Hendrick's, which is no bad thing. 

There are two main menu choices at Benedict's, diners can either pick two or three courses from the small but interesting a la carte menu (three choices for each course, including one veggie option) for £29 for two courses or £36 for three courses.  The other option is to choose the tasting menu, which provides six courses plus canapés for £52 for the meat option and £45 for the vegetarian option.  They also offer a GBM tasting menu featuring the dishes Rich cooked on the series for £55.  Alongside the tasting menu you can choose a wine flight, with a different wine paired to each course, for £32.  Mr Vegan Man did this on our last visit but we decided against it on this occasion, however you do get a good amount of very good wine for the price and a nice explanation of each wine and how it pairs with the dish you're eating.

After much deliberation we decided to go for the tasting menu - one meat and one vegetarian, naturally.  We also ordered a bottle of Stopham Estate Pinot Blanc, which Mr Vegan Man had tried as part of the wine flight.  It was excellent, really fruity and quite full-bodied for a white wine but still with a freshness that goes nicely with the richly flavoured food on offer.  Before the main canapés arrived, we were treated to some delightful salt and vinegar crisps, served quirkily in a pine cone.  They went nicely with our G&Ts; pleasingly we were asked if we'd like our wine to wait until we'd finished our aperitifs and that was a nice touch and most welcome otherwise we'd have had three drinks on the go with our tap water.

The first canapés arrived - a playful take on cheese and pineapple and vol au vents. The cheese mousse with pressed pineapple was lovely, smooth and creamy cheese complimented by sharp, sweet pineapple.  Mr Vegan Man's pastry case was filled with edible flowers and salad cream and was a lovely little burst of flavour and the pastry was so delicate and melted in the mouth.  WOTVM's pastry was filled with salmon roe mousse and cucumber and was also delicious.

The second round of canapés was a warm sherry foam with a puffed cracker topped with lightly pickled vegetables and fruity gels for Mr Vegan Man, and with cured salmon replacing the vegetables on WOTVM's cracker.  The sherry mousse is one of the tastiest things in the world.  That is no exaggeration.  We were fortunate enough to have it on our last visit too and the four of us loved it.  As on our previous visit, we were offered some sourdough bread and unpasteurised butter to mop up the remaining foam with.  The bread and butter was glorious - the sourdough was very tangy and the butter rich and salty.  Little touches like this make a big difference.

Our appetizers arrived - the first dish on the tasting menu - with WOTVM having a Baron Bigod mousse with hen's yolk and Mr Vegan Man having Katja's Garden (named for Mrs Bainbridge), which was a combination of pea sorbet, tomato foam and edible flowers and herbs.  The pea sorbet was wonderfully smooth and packed with fresh pea flavour; underneath it were some fresh young peas which added a nice texture and little bursts of sweetness.  The tomato foam was so fresh and clean and added a bit of acidity to the sweet flavour of the peas, whilst the flowers and herbs added extra freshness. 

In contrast, WOTVM's appetizer was rich and decadent, the creamy Baron Bigod cheese - a British cheese similar in appearance to brie - combining with the runny egg yolk made an unctuous combination.  WOTVM tried Mr Vegan Man's appetizer too and was a little jealous as she loved the lightness of Katja's Garden with its fresh, summer flavours.

Our starters followed soon after, a Caesar salad for Mr Vegan Man and mackerel with watercress, radish and dill for WOTVM.  The mackerel was seared and full of smoky flavour, the little pickles radishes were earthy and sharp, working well with the oily fish.  There was a green quenelle on the plate which we think was dill butter, WOTVM was not overly keen on this as it seemed a little sweet to her taste.

Mr Vegan Man's Caesar salad was really tasty.  The scorched baby gem lettuce had a lovely smoky flavour that stayed in the back of the mouth and the breadcrumbs and finely grated cheese were nicely salty.  The salad cream gave some nice acidity and overall it was a really successful dish and a clever twist on a classic.

The next course was a Caesar salad for WOTVM, this time substituting Gentleman's Relish for the salad cream, and for Mr Vegan Man a hen's yolk ravioli with watercress and crispy garlic.  The ravioli was beautifully cooked, the pasta was nice and thin with a beautiful soft texture.  The egg yolk oozed out giving a lovely rich coating to the rest of the ingredients.  The seasoning was lovely and Mr Vegan Man also had a green quenelle on his plate but in contrast to WOTVM, he really liked it and it went well with the rest of the dish.  There was a good balance between rich decadence from the egg and butter and the freshness of watercress and herbs.

WOTVM also enjoyed her Caesar salad, the Gentleman's Relish adding a nice tang along with the crisp and smoky scorched lettuce.  She agreed with Mr Vegan Man that it was a really good dish with a nice combination of flavours.

The first three courses came fairly quickly after one another but there was a welcome gap before the main courses arrived.  On the three times we've visited the pacing of the meal has always been something that's stood out - the six courses plus canapes is quite a lot of food, so to avoid feeling overly full too quickly the full menu is spread out nicely and at the end of the meal you feel satisfied but not uncomfortable.  At the same time, at no point do you really feel that you are waiting a long time for your next course; again, it's the little details like this which make a place stand out.

Mr Vegan Man's main course was a potato pithivier with summer truffle and buttered pilsner sauce.  The pithivier was beautifully made, the pastry was crisp and surprisingly light.  The truffle-laced potato was earthy and deep in flavour whilst the buttered pilsner sauce, which was used sparingly so as not to drown the dish, brought everything together.  What really set the dish alight, though, was the truffle mousse and the lovingly-cooked baby vegetables.  The mousse was packed with flavour and was simultaneously light and creamy, although WOTVM turned her nose up at it as she has a bit of an aversion to truffle and found the smell quite strong.  The vegetables were superb, baby turnips, golden and purple beetroot and young onions and leaks, all of them cooked to perfection and packed with flavour.  On previous visits we've experienced the same; the veg on Rich's dishes are not an afterthought or accompaniment, they are integral to the dish and are treated as such.

WOTVM had truffled guinea fowl with pistachio pilaf rice, seared shallots and a white port and shellfish bisque.  The guinea fowl was well-cooked, juicy and tender.  The thigh meat was flavoured with herbs - WOTVM thinks it was thyme - which gave it a contrasting flavour to the breast meat which she really enjoyed.  WOTVM's dish was also garnished with baby vegetables and like Mr Vegan Man she found these to be delicious, working really well with the flavoursome guinea fowl.  The dish had a good hit of pistachio flavour and the bisque added a deep, sweet flavour.

The next course was a pre-dessert palette cleanser of lemon verbena sorbet with cucumber.  The sorbet was perfectly made and full of herby, lemony tang.  It was refreshing and light.  The cucumber water, with tiny cubes of cucumber, was equally well-made with a very slight bitterness that contrasted well with the sweetness of the sorbet.  The little pieces of cucumber added a nice bit of texture and bursts of fresh cucumber flavour.

Dessert arrived and looked stunning.  The dark chocolate glaze over the passion fruit mousse had a lovely shine and invited us to tuck in.  The mousse was soft and light, the flavour of the passion fruit both sharp and sweet at the same time.  Little passion fruit seeds popped in our mouths as we tucked in, with a lovely crunch to contrast with the smooth mousse.  The light sponge base also added an extra texture, as did the chocolate crumb around the edge.  The mellow chocolate flavour of the crumb complimented the tartness of the passion fruit, and the dish was balanced just right so that neither the passion fruit nor the chocolate dominated.

We finished our drinks and paid our bill, which came to £150 overall.  The wine we chose was £36 for a bottle, which is in the mid to high range on their wine list - there are a number of wine choices for under £30.  Whilst the price looks high, we feel it is good value.  It's a great experience that lasts a whole evening and you get a lot for your money.

The dishes, as you can see, look superb.  The presentation is wonderful but is matched by the flavour.  Rich prides himself on using fresh and seasonal ingredients and, wherever possible, locally-sourced produce.  As a result the menu changes regularly but what stays the same is the style of food.  Rich and his chefs are incredibly skilled at getting the maximum possible flavour from the ingredients and they use modern techniques to highlight and showcase the produce, not to overshadow it.

We greatly enjoyed our evening.  The restaurant was busy and buzzing, full of very happy diners having a great time.  Benedict's has managed to create a great atmosphere that is uniquely its own, and somehow the restaurant manages to reflect the character of the chef/owner: friendly, welcoming, unpretentious and treating food with both respect and a sense of fun.  It all makes for a great dining experience and we are very glad to have Benedict's here in Norwich.

Benedict's takes bookings online via their website, where you can also view their current menus and news updates.  Please leave any comments below or you can contact us via email.

Brunch at Frank's Bar

When we got back from our wonderful holiday to Croatia, WOTVM had the bright idea of going out for brunch the following morning to try and combat our holiday blues.  We strolled into the city on a gloomy Friday morning and after passing a packed Number 33, which had been on our list of possibilities, we narrowed our choice down to Frank's Bar or Pandora's Kitchen.  As we'd been to Pandora's Kitchen recently, we decided to give Frank's a go.

Frank's Bar (picture courtesy of their website) has a special place in our hearts as it was where we went on our first date.  It was a quiet Wednesday night and we managed to wile away four of five hours in the blink of an eye, although we did also knock back quite a few gin and tonics and rum and gingers.  We like to go back to Frank's pretty regularly although usually only for drinks; Frank's has built up a tasty-looking menu and really developed its food options over the years but aside from some bread and hummus, we've not previously sampled their foody wares.

The breakfast/brunch menu has some interesting options and after ordering drinks - coffee, orange juice and herbal tea - and spending several minutes agonising over our choices we realised that we'd both narrowed it down to the same two dishes.  We decided that sharing was the way forward and so ordered avocado, cherry tomatoes and poached eggs on sourdough toast and sabih, a traditional Israeli dish of aubergine, boiled egg and a tahini dressing served on a toasted pitta with a mango pickle.

Our brunch arrived quickly and looked amazing, with a nice little dressed salad garnish on the side of both dishes.  After taking a quick snap, we set about ruining the aesthetics of our dishes by carving them in two and swapping them about.  We tucked in hungrily - it was around 11.30 and we hadn't eaten since the night before - and we were very happy with our choices.

The sabih was very flavoursome, it had a background sweetness from the mango pickle which complimented the rich sesame flavour of the tahini and the deep, smoky taste of aubergine.  The pitta bread was slightly crispy on the outside and was an excellent vehicle for the Middle Eastern flavours on top of it.  The boiled egg worked well with the other elements of the dish and added some hearty chunks of protein.

The avocado on toast was very nice indeed.  The avocado itself was perfectly ripe and the poached egg was cooked to perfection, with the yolk oozing out over the rest of the dish.  The sourdough toast had a good tangy crust and absorbed the juices from the tomatoes, avocado and egg nicely.  Our only small complaint is that we could have done with a few more tomatoes, the ones we had were sweet and juicy but we only had one or two each and could have done with a couple more.  The dressed salad with both of the dishes was a nice accompaniment.

Our bill, including drinks, was just over £20 which we felt was reasonable.  The portion sizes were just right (other than the missing toms) and we felt nicely full but not stuffed at the end of our brunch. 

We'll definitely give the food offerings at Frank's another go when we inevitably make another visit.  The service here is always friendly and today was no exception; we love the table service that comes as standard at Frank's, such a simple but great concept for a bar/café.  It's a great little place and quite rightly a Norwich institution, if you've never been before you should definitely go.  The décor is shabby shic and suitably hip and cool, it's the kind of place you can just as easily come for a coffee as a beer, a slice of cake as some tasty mezze plates.  You can visit their website here and you can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Any questions or comments please comment below or send us an email.

Bulgur salad with halloumi, baba ganoush, dressed courgettes & spiced carrot chutney

This is the first of our recipes using an ingredient bought at this past weekend's Norwich Food & Drink Festival.  We loved the spiced carrot chutney made by Candi's Chutney so much that we couldn't wait to include it in one of our dishes and so on Sunday evening, Mr Vegan Man took to the kitchen to put together this dish.

The recipe makes use of a bulgur wheat salad recipe, inspired by classic tabbouleh, that Mr Vegan Man makes regularly for lunches or for a tasty, healthy dinner.  It is great on its own or with just some griddled halloumi, but when Mr Vegan Man has a bit of time to spend in the kitchen he likes to treat WOTVM to something a bit more fancy and this recipe adds a few extra flourishes that really elevate it.

We think that this is one of the tastiest dishes we've cooked in a long while; it's inspired by some traditional mezze dishes but done in our own way and put together as a single cohesive plate of food.  The flavours all worked really well together with freshness and zing coming from the chutney and courgettes, complimenting the rich smokiness of the baba ganoush and the crisp, salty halloumi.  The bulgur wheat salad is packed with lots of fresh, punchy flavours and worked well with the other elements of the dish.

The recipe below will serve four people, with some bulgur wheat salad to spare for lunch the next day too!  Preparation and cooking time is 1-1.5 hours although you may need to allow a little longer for some elements to cool.

Ingredients:

For the bulgur wheat salad:

250g Bulgur wheat
2 sweet pointed red peppers
1 large clove of garlic
40g of cocktail gherkins/cornichons
75g of green olives
1 red chilli (or Scotch bonnet if feeling adventurous)
Small packet of fresh flat leaf parsley (approx. 30-40g)
Small packet of fresh mint (approx. 30-40g)
2 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. granulated or caster sugar
Juice of 3 lemons

For the baba ganoush:

1 aubergine
4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp tahini paste
1 tbsp olive oil
Juice of a lemon
0.5 tsp smoked paprika

For the courgette salad:

2 large courgettes
2 tsp nigella seeds
2 tsp sesame seeds
Juice of a lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar

To finish:

225g block of halloumi
1.5 tbsp. Candi's Chutney spiced carrot chutney

To begin, cut the aubergine in half length ways and make four small incisions in the flesh of the aubergine.  Cut the cloves of garlic in half, also lengthways, and stuff them in the cuts you've made as picture.  Drizzle over a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper before placing in an oven pre-heated to 180°C for 30-40 minutes.

Once the aubergine is cooked - it will be golden brown on top and slightly squidgy to the touch - remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes.  Scrape the aubergine flesh and garlic cloves into a bowl and add the olive oil, tahini, lemon juice and smoked paprika.  Use a hand blender to blitz the ingredients to a smooth, creamy texture.  You could use a food processor if you don't have a hand blender.

Set aside the baba ganoush until it is time to serve.  Leave the oven at 180°C and chop up the sweet pointed peppers into chunks about 2cm by 2cm.  Place the peppers with a little olive oil on a baking tray or small roasting tin and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes.  Whilst the peppers are cooking you can begin making the rest of the bulgur wheat salad.

Take a large saucepan and add the bulgur wheat after first rinsing it.  Boil a kettle full of water and once this comes to the boil, cover the bulgur wheat with the boiling water so that the water is just under 1cm above the level of the bulgur wheat.  Add a tablespoon of olive oil and a good pinch of salt and stir.  Cover the pan and place on a very low heat and leave for 8 minutes, then turn the heat off and leave for a further 15-20 minutes.  This method should ensure that your bulgur wheat is cooked through, retaining a bit of bite, with the grains light and fluffy and not at all stodgy.

Move the bulgur wheat into a large bowl and leave to cool whilst preparing the rest of your ingredients and by this time your peppers will have finished roasting so can be removed from the oven.  Crush the clove of garlic and finely chop the chilli, cocktail gherkins and green olives.  Add  these to the cooling bulgur wheat, along with the peppers, and stir.

Make the dressing for the salad by combining the olive oil, red wine vinegar and lemon juice.  Add this to the bowl and mix thoroughly so that the dry ingredients are all well-coated in dressing.  Finely chop the mint and parsley and finish the bulgur wheat salad by stirring the herbs through.  Set aside for serving.

Cut up the courgettes into thin strips, about 2-3mm is ideal if possible.  Heat a griddle pan over a high heat and coat the surface of the pan with a little oil.  Once the pan is nice and hot, add your courgettes in batches and cook for 2 minutes on each side.  This will be enough time for them to take on colour and flavour and to cook through fully.  In a bowl, mix the olive oil, lemon juice and vinegar along with the sesame and nigella seeds.  Add the courgettes and mix, seasoning with a little salt and pepper. Cover and set aside for serving.

Chop the halloumi into slices about 0.5cm thick - a block this size should give you eight slices, enough for two per person.  Re-heat the griddle pan over a high heat and place the halloumi in the pan, cooking for about 3 minutes on each side or until they have taken on a nice char.  To get a crisscross effect, turn the halloumi ninety degrees during cooking.

Once the halloumi is cooked the dish is ready to plate up.  Add some small dollops of the spiced carrot chutney around the halloumi as the two work really well together.  Whilst we'd wholeheartedly recommend buying the chutney as it is so very tasty, if this is not possible then as an alternative grate 1 large carrot and mix with 0.5 tbsp of cider vinegar, 0.5 tsp of olive oil, 0.5 tsp of chilli flakes and a pinch of sugar and leave to sit for a few hours in a covered bowl, remixing occasionally.  This will make a good substitute but remember to make well in advance so the flavours can infuse properly.  A chilli jam or relish could also work with the dish.

WOTVM was really delighted with the dish - we both love Middle Eastern inspired food - it was packed with flavour and each mouthful was different and really got the taste-buds going.  Please give it a try and let us know how you get on by leaving a comment below or by emailing us.

Norwich Food & Drink Festival - 19th of June 2016

Today, we paid a visit to the Norwich Food & Drink Festival, organised by Norfolk Food & Drink and held in and around The Forum in Norwich city centre.  The festival brings together local producers from Norwich and Norfolk, all offering their wares on a range of stalls selling everything from gin to popcorn, from hog roast to dairy- and gluten-free baked goods.

We arrived at about 12.30, by which time there was already an impressive crowd of people and the festival had a nice buzz about it from the off.  We started off inside The Forum where top chef and local lad Rich Bainbridge was about to give a demonstration.  Although we didn't have time to follow the demonstration through, we did hear him talking passionately about his journey over the past 18 months, from leaving Morston Hall - where he had been head chef for a number of years - to establishing his own restaurant, Benedict's, as one of the very best places to eat in Norfolk. 

Rich speaks with such passion and enthusiasm about his work and he has such humility too; whilst we are lucky to have him in Norwich, he makes it clear that the feeling is mutual and he feels blessed to be here in his home city, establishing a loyal following of diners who are attracted to his modern, seasonal locally-sourced food.  He is open about how much he risked in opening his own venue in the city with a limited budget, which effectively meant no real publicity, and he has had to work hard - with support from his family and his Benedict's family too - to achieve the success he is now achieving.  Having visited twice ourselves, and planning to go again very soon, we can confirm that Benedict's are really hitting the mark and the plaudits Rich and his team are receiving are well-deserved.

Inside The Forum, numerous stalls caught the eye and our first stop was at the table of The Tiny Tipple Company, who specialise in creating infused spirits.  We sampled a strawberry gin which was delicious and packed a real hit of fresh strawberry flavour.  There was a good crowd around the table, sampling other delights including rose hip infused vodka and rhubarb gin.

Our next stop was Season's Bounty, maker of handmade preserves.  This was where we made our first purchase - a jar of strawberry and elderflower jam which WOTVM bought as a present for her dad.  The jam was very tasty and clearly very popular; we managed to get the last remaining pot.

Just across the way from Season's Bounty was the stall of Ethnic Fusion - a catering company and cookery school based near Dereham and specialising in fine Indian cuisine.  The food on offer looked amazing and Mr Vegan Man couldn't resist.  Alongside traditional pakoras, samosas and bhajis was a gluten-free offering called a bonda, made using chick pea flour.  The bonda was superb, lightly crispy on the outside and filled with a spicy potato-based filling.  There was some coriander chutney on the table too so we helped ourselves to a good spoonful of that as well and we were very glad that we did - it was fresh and punchy and went excellently with the bonda.

As we began to make our way towards the exit of The Forum to check out the stalls outside, our eyes were caught by Candi's Chutney.  An array of intriguing chutneys and pickles were on display, and Mr Vegan Man tried a spiced carrot chutney and an asparagus chutney.  The asparagus chutney was tasty, reminiscent of piccalilli in flavour with a nice sharp vinegary, mustardy taste.  This was, however, outshone by the stunning spiced carrot chutney, which was so good that Mr Vegan Man insisted that WOTVM needed to try it.  She tried it and she also loved it and so our next purchase of the day was complete.  We will bring you a dish incorporating the chutney later this week - yes, we've already been using it!

Next door to Candi's Chutney was a Deliveroo stand, offering generous free samples to anyone entering their competition.  We signed up for the competition and were rewarded with two delicious pieces of sushi from Ciscoe's and a chocolate and hazelnut brownie from Macarons and More.  The brownie was rich and fudgy with a generous amount of hazelnuts, it looked great and the taste lived up to its looks.

Once outside, we discovered a whole host of stalls around the side of The Forum and we made a beeline for Bullards' table where their Norwich Dry Gin was being handed out.  The gin was incredible, with a real peppery heat on the back of a throat and deep, fruity flavours from their blend of botanicals.  We're quite well-stocked for gin at the moment, but this blend will definitely be on our wish list once we've depleted our current supply a little further.

We moved on to Essence and Jubberwacky's stall next door.  Mr Vegan Man tried two kinds of mustard, one spicy mustard and one wholegrain mustard.  Both were excellent but the Jubberwacky wholegrain mustard in particular was superb and so another item was bought.  The helpful lady on the stall (who may have been the owner) explained that the good kick that comes at the end when you taste the mustard comes from them cracking the grains and soaking them overnight in Nelson's Revenge.  They pride themselves on using local ingredients in their preserves and it is clear from the taste that Norfolk is producing some excellent ingredients right now!

We also quickly perused Kind Food's stall, offering a good looking range of gluten- and dairy-free breads, cakes and pastries.  Unfortunately we were too full to consider buying anything and so moved on to another excellent preserves stall, this one being run by Ollands Farm Foods.  The jams were excellent, Mr Vegan Man tried a particularly tasty lime and chilli marmalade, but we couldn't justify a further purchase and so we left empty-handed.  The outside stalls were all really busy, which was great to see, and Riverford seemed to be getting interest in their increasingly popular organic fruit and veg boxes.

The 'Battle of the Bangers' was one of the highlights of this year's festival and so we decided to join in.  Of the eight varieties on offer there was one veggie option made by North Nofolk's vegetarian Art Café.  As Mr Vegan Man could only try one of the options and so would vote for this by default, he abstained from the contest and WOTVM was left with the great responsibility of selecting her favourite banger.  Ultimately, the first one she tried was her favourite - a substantial and meaty pork sausage from Icarus Hines.  WOTVM chose this one because of its great texture - smooth and not grainy - rich pork flavour and excellent caramelisation.  We bumped into a friend of WOTVM's who had also voted for the same variety and as it transpires, the Icarus Hines entry was the overall winner of the 'Battle of the Bangers'.

Before we left, WOTVM couldn't resist the sight and smell of the hog roast stand and so as we left she bought herself a generously filled roll, complete with crispy crackling.  The pork was soft and rich and was a rare treat for WOTVM as it's not the sort of thing she ever gets to have at home.

We had a great day out at the Norwich Food & Drink Festival.  Huge kudos to the organisers as the event seemed really well-run and attracted a good crowd throughout.  It was great to see so many local producers gathered in one place, many of whom we had no idea existed, and this was further evidence of just how strong the local food scene is in Norfolk at present.  We look forward to seeing what's on offer next year and we will definitely be seeking out some of the vendors again.

Stay tuned over the next fortnight as we will be bringing you two dishes using ingredients we bought at the festival.  We hope that those of you who attended enjoyed yourselves as much as we did.  Please get in touch via the comments section or send us an email with your thoughts on the event.