VIP launch party of The Old Blind School

Hi everyone, I hope that you have all had a great week! I have spoken to you before about The Old Blind School in Liverpool. This historic Grade II listed building was formerly a school for the blind and it had been left in a sad state of neglect until it was recently acquired by Paul Newman and David Mooney of New Moon Company. They already had six successful restaurants and bars across the North West and the opening of the Old Blind School or TOBS as she is affectionately known means that they now have seven restaurants and bars. They spent a long time restoring the building to its former glory, designing the interiors with an exceptional eye for detail. Many breath-taking features catch the eye all around the building including two sweeping marble bars, feature lighting, a spacious outdoor terrace and works of art and ephemera adding quirky touches here and there.
The place feels welcoming and exciting as soon as you walk in, and the split level venue has over 200 covers meaning that it is a great place to dine or just to stop off for one of the excellent cocktails, wines and beers.
Last night was the highly anticipated VIP launch party and it was the hottest ticket in town. I felt very fortunate to be able to attended and I cannot wait to share a few of the highlights of the party with you! It was a beautiful sunny evening, and fire jugglers were performing outside when we arrived at the party! Inside, the thirst of the lucky guests was quenched by delicious Lemon and Thyme champagne cocktails decorated with herbs and flowers. The bartenders at TOBS are hugely knowledgeable, and they mix cocktails to absolute perfection!

This wall of hands is so striking! 

It was an amazing evening and guests had a wonderful time mingling over cocktails both in the downstairs and upstairs bars. The party really launched TOBS with a bang and this was a launch event that everybody will be talking about for a long time to come. There was a host of delicious foods on offer too, such as mini burgers, tempura prawns and fish in beer batter. Yummy. Plenty of people had booked in for meals in the restaurant upstairs too, and they were enjoying their delicious meals whilst soaking up the ambiance of the party. 

The amazing fire jugglers were so talented! 

Bar manager Chris expertly mixing a Mimosa-sorry for the sneaky pictures Chris !

 

Guests mingled in the two stunning bar areas.

As well as the fire jugglers, there was an amazing live band who performed an eclectic selection of classic tunes including covers of The Beatles. The crowds were loving the live music and some of the guests were dancing but I refrained from doing so as I was wearing heels and I had indulged in *one or two* (ahem) delicious cocktails! It was a pleasure to see the band perform and they were so talented! 

One of the delicious 'Blind Orange Mimosa' cocktails I enjoyed during the party. 

Later on I had the chance to catch up with some friends and I also met some people for the first time, which was so nice. I love going to parties and this one was just so much fun! Outside, plenty of people were soaking up the last rays of warm evening sun on the spacious outdoor terraces. The outdoor spaces really add another great element to TOBS and I can tell that the terrace will be the place to soak up the sun over cocktails in the summer!

Guests enjoying the sunshine on the spacious outdoor terrace at TOBS 

I saw the lovely Mark Byron who starred in Big Brother and has a very successful eyebrow company. We have met before but this time we had chance for a picture together.

A beautiful sunset on the terrace

 The stunning stairwell decorated with bespoke art works and a feature chandelier

 A delicious 'Blind Orange Mimosa' 

Cocktails in the sunshine. 

The bartenders hard at work serving the guests a variety of delicious cocktails, wines and beers.

A lemon and thyme champagne cocktail which welcomed the guests 

 I caught up with my lovely friend Emma and her friend Leah 

I had a lovely time chatting to Lyndsey who I met at the TOBS press party

 I met the lovely Ryan Mira, a very successful PR entrepreneur

I met the beautiful model Amanda Harrington during the party too.

What an unforgettable party, welcome to Liverpool TOBS!

So that is all from me for now, what an amazing party the launch night of TOBS was. Thank you to Paul Newman and David Mooney and everyone involved in making this such a wonderful occasion. I was honoured to be invited. What do you all think, would you like to sip a Mimosa in the bar at TOBS? I can't wait to hear your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post! 

The Old Blind School

24 Hardman Street, 

Liverpool,

Merseyside, 

L1 9AX

0151 709 8002

info@oldblindschool.co.uk

Until next time,

Camille 

xo 

Comfort food and cocktails at Bierkeller Liverpool...

As a food writer I enjoy eating at so many lovely restaurants and it is wonderful to enjoy fine dining and a variety of delicious cuisine from all around the world cooked by chefs at the top of their profession. Sometimes, it is nice to eat out somewhere with a truly relaxed and informal feel to it with a menu filled with what can only be described as comfort food. Yesterday was a very hectic day, I had an early meeting at the Hilton hotel in Liverpool followed by rushing to Chester for another meeting (as well as a dental appointment!) by the time I got back to Liverpool in the evening I was feeling tired and stressed out, so I was delighted to head out for dinner and looking forward to some truly rib-sticking classic comfort food.

I was given the opportunity to review the Bierkeller in Liverpool and I perused the menu online, thrilled to see hearty dishes such as hot dogs, burgers and sharing platters. Since I am not the type of girl to nibble half a lettuce leaf when I go out to dinner, this was a menu I was pleased by! Bierkeller is known for its amazing selection of beers, imported German Bratwurst (and authentic Currywurst which I practically lived on when I lived in Heidelberg!) as well as live music including performances by traditional Bavarian style Oompah Bands! Located in the heart of Liverpool One, we made our way to the Bierkeller looking forward to food and fun. In the last of the evening sunshine, people were soaking up the rays on the outdoor terrace and drinking huge traditional Steins of German Bier.

We were warmly welcomed and ushered to a comfortable table with booth seating, overlooking the busy bar where live music was playing. We sipped a delicious Long Island Iced Tea (summer=cocktails!) and perused the menu before deciding to start our meal with The Shooters Platter, consisting of a giant tray filled with Buffalo wings, onion rings, mozzarella melts, cheese nachos and spicy wedges. This was served with BBQ and sweet chilli dips. My oh my, there was supposed to be enough for 2 people to share but in truth there was enough for four. Portion sizes at Bierkeller are very generous which makes it a great place to head when you are feeling very hungry.   I was impressed by the vast choice on the menu, including pizzas, pasta, salads, gumbo and curry. There really is something for everyone. 

The Shooters Platter 

Long Island Iced Tea 

 
For the main course I was determined to have a burger (I should warn you, nobody stands between me and a burger after a long and stressful day!) so I was pleased to see a choice of Gourmet burgers on the menu for £7.95 including Prime Ground Beef, Chicken, Wild Boar & Apple, Kangaroo, Venison and Lamb. Despite the more exotic options, I opted for the chicken burger topped with The Tex Mex; Chilli, sour cream, salsa and cheese. The burger was served with lettuce, tomato, and relish in a brioche bun. The chicken was tender and juicy; having been flame grilled to perfection and the brioche bun was light and fluffy. 

Gourmet chicken burger with Tex Mex topping 

The Tex Mex topping added another element of enjoyment to the delicious burger and the bucket of crispy fries were the perfect accompaniment. My dining companion had the The Big Dog (£7.95) two classic German Bratwurst hot dogs served in a roll with mustard and ketchup. He chose the decadent topping of The Dirty Sanchez, Jalapenos, guacamole, fresh chipotle salsa, cheese and chipotle sauce. 

 The Big Dog with Dirty Sanchez topping 

Crispy fries topped with fresh herbs

He loved the smoky hot dogs and the topping just added even more enjoyment to this delicious dish! For once I passed up the option of dessert, but he chose the Apple Strudel, served with berry coulis and vanilla bean ice cream. I always feel most desserts are overpriced when dining out (for example, places which serve slivers of shop bought cheesecake for £5.95...not fair!) but I think that Bierkeller desserts are fairly priced at just £2. 95 The strudel was light and airy with plenty of apple and a good kick of cinnamon too. 

Apple Strudel with raspberry coulis and vanilla bean ice cream

Meanwhile, for my dessert I had another cocktail which quite frankly I think is the best kind of dessert! the 'Elephants Mudbath' was like a delicious milkshake with a nice alcoholic kick and plenty of fragrant mint. Yum! 

The whole meal was delicious, the service was friendly and the cocktails were strong and tasty. I would recommend Bierkeller as the perfect place to go with a group of friends for a few drinks, or just for a delicious bite to eat alongside a few cocktails! 

 What do you all think, would you like to have some delicious food and cocktails at Bierkeller? I can't  wait to hear your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post! 

Birkeller Liverpool 

6 Thomas Steers Way

Liverpool 

L1 8LW

08455 333 000

Until next time,

Camille 

xo 

Congratulations to a great chef!

Hi everyone, I hope that you are all having a great week so far! I am bringing you a special post today because I want to wish a friend of mine the warmest congratulations. Matt Worswick, the talented chef at The Lawns Restaurant at Thornton Hall Hotel & Spa, in Wirral, England has revealed that he will be taking part in the new series of the BBC 2 television show Great British Menu. Well done Matt! This is such exciting news because he is a very talented and visionary chef who has a way of pairing wonderful flavour combinations with exquisite techniques, producing some of the finest plates of food ever seen. I had the pleasure of dining at The Lawns a while ago and I still reminisce about the delicious meal which consisted of an exquisite tasting menu followed by a gargantuan selection of wonderful cheese. It may surprise people to think that even now as a seasoned food writer, I am still reluctant to eat some things such as squid and Matt made me enjoy a squid dish more than I ever have before. His talent lies in pairing exquisite ingredients to make truly enjoyable dishes, and the execution and presentation of his food is a credit to him and his team at The Lawns. I am so looking forward to seeing what he will prepare on the show, it will be wonderful to watch him compete and I am sending the best of luck to him for his time on Great British Menu!  I thought that this was the perfect time to share some of the dishes I enjoyed at The Lawns with you all again, as it was one of the best meals I have ever been fortunate enough to eat!

 Artichoke Ragout with Artichoke Crisps this was the amuse-bouche and it got the meal off to a wonderful start. The artichoke foam was a fun texture and the flavours were so rich with a touch of sweetness. 

 Red Mullet with Parmesan Gnocchi this was a divine dish and I have never known fish cooked to such flaky and tender perfection. The Parmesan Gnocchi gave it a real warmth and the squid and olive crumb were delightful in both taste and texture. 

Seared Scottish scallop with maple glazed chicken wing. 

Chicken and ham terrine with swede textures.

Pineapple cheesecake with coconut gel.

Raspberry soufflé with elderflower sorbet and elderflower granola.

With dishes like these, no wonder Matt Worswick has been selected to appear on Great British Menu! What do you all think, which of these dishes would you like to try? As always I can't wait to hear your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post! 

Until next time, 

 Camille 

xo 

Reasons to smile with Smiles By Design...

Hi everyone, I hope that you all had a great weekend. Last week I took a trip to the historic city of Chester and it was a really lovely afternoon. The main reason for my visit was to go to the dentist! I have spoken to you before about being nervous of the dentist, but that was before I met the lovely Dr Taylor Pope who runs Smiles By Design* dental practice in Chester. Dr Pope is a brilliant dentist and he also offers a wide range of facial aesthetic treatments. He assured me that I had nothing to worry about so I took the plunge and decided to go along and experience the Smiles By Design service. The practice is nestled down a historic street called St John Street in a beautiful Georgian building. I was warmly welcomed by the reception team and Dr Pope himself  and I relaxed in the comfortable and luxurious waiting room before my appointment. In no time, Dr Pope called me through, and I felt a lot less nervous when he sat me down with a reassuring smile and explained exactly what he was going to do. 

The Smiles By Design practice is housed in a beautiful historic building.

 Feeling nervous prior to my appointment! 

The luxurious waiting area.

Dr Pope explained that he would clean and polish my teeth using a special water jet and that he would also take some x-rays to check if my teeth were all ok. The cleaning was completely painless and Dr Pope chatted to me throughout and really put me at ease. My teeth immediately felt so amazing and so clean and sparkly! The x rays were over in seconds and the whole Smiles By Design service was so efficient, friendly and lovely throughout that I actually enjoyed going to the dentist! I will never be nervous to go to the dentist again now that I have been a patient of Dr Pope and I am actually going back tomorrow for some more treatment! Smiles By Design offer a range of treatments such as whitening, dental implants and Invilasign treatments alongside a full range of facial aesthetics. I even had friends asking me if I had undergone teeth whitening because my teeth were so sparkly! Thank you so much to Dr Pope, his lovely wife Roz and the team for inviting me to experience Smiles By Design, you definitely gave me a reason to smile!.

Smiles By Design
9 Saint John Street, 

Chester

CH1 1DA

01244 350500

Dr Pope and the rest of the lovely Smiles By Design team.

After my appointment, I had a press release to write for work so I stopped off for some coffee. When I had finished my work I decided to explore Chester a little bit and I thought that I would share some of the photographs with you. Of course, I also managed to find the time to do some shopping which is typical of me! 

I wandered around the city, enjoying the amazing architecture and soaking up the sunshine. Suddenly I magically found myself in Marks and Spencers looking at all of the delicious cakes and pastries! I managed to resist as I thought eating sugary cakes after a visit to the dentist was not the best idea! 

Smiling later after my treatments!

 Those cakes and pastries were so tempting! 

 A trip to Lush was irresistible! 

The beautiful and historic Chester Cathedral.

So that is all from me for now, let me know what you think, do you like going to the dentist or do you find it slightly scary? Would you like to visit a lovely dentist like Smiles By Design?

As always I cannot wait to hear your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post! 

Until next time, 

Camille 

xo 

*Disclaimer

I was kindly invited to experience Smiles By Design, therefore my treatments were complimentary for review purposes. All opinions expressed herein are my own and honest. 

Coming Up Roses...

As a food writer and blogger I always enjoy trying new restaurants and I think one of the things which always makes a restaurant seem striking and welcoming is when they have displays of wonderful fresh flowers. Some friends of mine The Dutch Flower Shop in Woolton , Liverpool (which is run by mother and son team Loraine and Daniel Whittle) often supply their stunning floral displays to different restaurants and bars and over the years they have also created bouquets for famous faces such as Paul McCartney and even members of the royal family. It is my pleasure to congratulate The Dutch Flower Shop because they have just secured an amazing contract with the Echo Arena Liverpool! The contract will ensure that the family business takes centre stage and Echo Arena Liverpool will soon be coming up roses thanks to their striking creations.
I just love their beautiful flowers and the bouquets they create are stunning, using premium fresh flowers delivered overnight from Holland! They deliver their flowers nationwide too so everyone can enjoy the beautiful blooms.

 When Loraine Whittle started off with just a small delivery van many years ago, she never dreamed that she would one day secure one of the most prestigious contracts in the business! Her success gives me so much motivation and it is truly inspiring! Their celebrity clients have included Coleen Rooney, Liverpool and Everton Football Clubs and their bouquets have been supplied to the Duchess of Cambridge and the Pope! The Dutch Flower Shop is planning exciting VIP parties to celebrate beautiful flowers such as peonies, where guests will enjoy gourmet food and champagne whilst surrounded by the beautiful blooms. 

Supporting the work of charities is important to The Dutch Flower Shop as they enjoy forging strong ties with the local Liverpool community. In 2008, they were delighted to be a part of the once in a lifetime Capital of Culture celebrations in Liverpool, when they created a ‘Capital of Culture’ rose for the occasion. Recently they supplied flowers for the Cunard Ships Anniversary celebrations in Liverpool!

The Dutch Flower Shop provides weekly flowers to many restaurants in the region with plans to supply many more fine dining restaurants in the near future. They have also supplied flowers to many famous stores such as Cricket and John Lewis.

 The Dutch Flower Shop creations with some of their royal clientele!

Steven Gerrard and Liverpool FC with bouquets from The Dutch Flower Shop!

What do you all think would you like to order a bouquet from The Dutch Flower Shop and what are your favourite flowers? I think that fresh flowers are so important for making the right impression and giving colour and beauty to a room. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on these pretty flowers and thank you so much for reading this post! 

Dutch Flower Shop 

123-125 Woolton Road, 

Liverpool, 

L15 6TB

0151 737 1595 or 0800 043 0123

 http://dutchflowershop.co.uk

info@dutchflowershop.co.uk 

Until next time,

Camille 

xo