food

Despite the name, there’s a lot for a vegetarian to eat at a Beefeater. I know strict vegetarians or vegans might argue that non-meat eaters should boycott places like this but I disagree: I think that eating at these types of restaurants sends a clear message that veggie demand is growing and they should provide more meal choices.

Anyway, so I was invited to try the menu at The Brache Beefeater Restaurant in Luton. It’s recently re-opened with a new look so they were keen to get some people to come along and sample the menu. I took a look at the options online and saw a few things I liked so decided to go. We went on a Thursday evening; the place was busy which was a good indication that the food is good. Does anybody else think that, or is it just me?

There was plenty of seating throughout and we were taken upstairs to a quieter mezzanine floor which hard large family tables or smaller, intimate tables for two. It was a relaxed vibe upstairs and the waitress had enough time to chat to us about the food and the new decor as well as serve other guests. After she made some recommendations we ordered our food.

What did I eat?

Skipping the starters, I opted for Baked Veggie Enchiladas and my boyfriend had a steak (yuck, typical), as well as a TON of sides: skinny fries, onion rings and garlic butter flatbread.

The Baked Veggie Enchiladas were wholesome, carb laden – stuffed with lime and corriander rice –  with the right amount of spice. It was topped with an ample dollop (or two) of cool sour cream. The flavours worked well and it definitely satisfied my cravings for carbs and cheese which I try not to eat too often, obvs. A  small side consisted of mini seasoned corn on the cobs which I also devoured.

The fries were GREAT, onions rings could have contained more onion but were crispy enough. But – the star of the show for me was the garlic butter flatbread. The flatbread was warm and the butter was loaded with garlic and delicate chopped parsley. I probably hummed of garlic for a week afterwards but it was worth it.

As usual, I couldn’t eat all of mine but that just goes to show that the portions are very generous – and that my stomach is the size of pea!

Desert

OK, I know I said I couldn’t eat all of my main meal, but there’s always room for pudding, right? I had The Warm Chocolate Brownie with vanilla ice cream. Another winning combination. The chocolate drizzle was both salty and sweet, so a perfect end to a satisfying meal.

Cost

Our bill (including drinks and the steak) came to just over £50. Personally, I think this is decent value, particularly because the portions were large and there were many sides.

Verdict

I honestly would recommend The Brache to families, large groups and even for intimate dining as there are a variety of table sizes. There is something on the menu that will appeal to everyone and you won’t leave feeling hungry. If I could compare it to another place, I’d say it’s a high end version of a Green King menu.

Sometimes there’s nothing better than to wake up to the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Even though I’m not a massive coffee drinker, when I do drink coffee, I prefer filtered ground bean varieties.

Hope & Glory Coffee Co.* recently got in touch and asked me if I’d like to review two of their ground bean blends and I couldn’t resist.

Who are Hope and Glory?

Hope & Glory are a British speciality coffee company. They roast all of their beans up in rural North Lincolnshire on their very own micro roaster. It’s good to know they’re a British brand carrying out the process here in the UK.

They roast an array of speciality coffees in a variety of forms, from Espresso blends, ground and whole bean options. They might be at the higher end of the coffee market but they do carefully select their beans from places all over the globe to provide unique flavours and blends. Hope & Glory also offer free postage and package their products to ensure freshness. If you’re true a coffee lover, you’ll know that it’s not worth skimping on quality and taste for the sake of saving a few quid.

The coffee tasting

I take my coffee mostly with soya milk and a very small dusting of sugar so I don’t overpower the coffee’s unique flavour. I imagine I probably take my coffee a lot lighter than most people but I’m also a fan of milky tea which has translated into how I take my coffee too.

It was good to see that Hope & Glory’s coffees passed the ‘mixing with soya’ test first off – many coffees usually separate with soya milk which looks really unpleasant and doesn’t taste particularly great.

Hope & Glory sent me two blends from their coffee collection. Here are my tasting notes.

The Blenheim Espresso Blend

The Blenheim Espresso Blend is their first ever espresso blend produced on their micro roaster at their new roastery in Blenheim North.

This is considered to be their most popular blend; I’m guessing that’s because of the striking mix of flavours, with coffee coming from Brazil, Kenya and Sumatra. The tasting notes describe the flavour as having a “plum jam acidity and butterscotch sweetness with a big ol’spoonful of melted cocoa”. It’s definitely a very distinctive blend and I could really taste the high cocoa content. It was bold and packed a punch first thing in the morning, so if you need to wake up and wake up fast, this one most certainly does the trick.

Score: 8/10

Kenya Gathongo

I find that coffee tasting is a lot like wine tasting: you’re always looking for the flavours described on the label. With the Kenya Gathongo blend, the tasting notes describe a sugared shortbread sweetness combined with winey forest fruit acidity”, which to me sounds a lot like a red wine. I was looking forward to this as I tend to like bolder flavours in wine, beer and ale.

I wasn’t disappointed with this blend. It was incredibly refreshing with a strong combination of flavours. I found it filling as well as satisfying – but I probably couldn’t drink  more than one mug.

The coffee bean origins come from Meru, Easter Slopes of Mount Kenya, Nyambene Hills Central Province. Apparently, the high altitude of where these beans are from creates the zingy, fruity flavours.

Score: 9/10

If you love coffee you could try…

If you’re interested in trying Hope & Glory’s coffee there is a wide range of blends to chose from and prices range from £6.50 to £7.15 for 260g of either ground or wholebean.

Or, if you’re feeling adventurous and like to receive treats in the post, you could try their coffee club subscription. Choose from either a fortnightly or monthly subscription from £6.30 per bag.

*disclaimer – Hope & Glory gifted me two bags of ground coffee. All views are my own.