Katie Hopkins is flown to Prague to receive an award.
In her acceptance speech she tells us what she really thinks.
Katie Hopkins so toxic, dropped by Daily Mail, banned from twitter.
The same should happen to racist troll failed hack Piers Moron.
Archive for January, 2020
Balmforth & Co Coffee House
January 29, 2020Beauful building.
— to b econtinued —
Real Ale Shop
January 29, 2020Wide slection of beer
— to be continued —
Stray’s Newark
January 29, 2020Serving the best coffee in Newark since 2003. — Stray’s Newark
The business is built on the mantra that we’ll make you “the best coffee you’ll have today” and we’ve been doing that since 2003. — Stray’s Newark
When a coffee shop claims to be serving the best coffee in town, it as a rule means they are serving crap coffee. Good coffee speaks for itself. World class coffee shops never make such ludicrous claims.
What I found, a greasy spoon cafe serving very bad coffee.
I asked for burger, claimed to be homemade. Did not have. Offered chicken burger. Yuk, No thanks.
Luckily I had had excellent mushroom soup and a bread roll earlier at The Soup Dwagon in Chain Lane.
Menu says locally sourced, but without saying from where meaningless. Contrast with Stokes on High Bridge, locally sourced and they say who supplies.
I ordered a coffee. Service abysmal. A long wait.
When it arrived, looked disgusting, cappuccino carpet bombed with chocolate. A tiny sip, scalding hot, tasted disgusting.
I took it back. Then had an argument, told I should have said if I did not want chocolate, the till said chocolate.
Begs the question how was I to know what the till says? It is not for me to contradict the till, it is for whoever is serving to ask. And a good coffee shop would never dream of offering chocolate. The only reason chocolate dumped on a cappuccino to mask that it is cheap crap coffee.
I asked of the coffee they use. No one knew. The bags of coffee on sale, appeared to be catering supply coffee, no roast date. If we take the best by date July 2020 which for coffee is meaningless the coffee was probably roasted July 2019. In other words old coffee long past its best.
And what does Rich Roast Beans mean? Absolutely nothing. Looking at the beans, dark over-roasted to hide that cheap rubbish coffee, a standardised product requires no skill of the person brewing the coffee.
The coffee supplied by Caffe Moko suppliers of catering supply coffee.
Note: I have asked of Caffe Moko suppliers of the catering supply coffee the roast date for coffee with a meaningless best before date of July 2020. They have lacked the courtesy to reply.
Note: Coffee is at its best within three weeks of roast date. Coffee shops that care about coffee, do not use beyond three weeks. Always check roast date.
Stray’s clueless on use of social media. I had asked from where they source their coffee. Lacked the courtesy of a reply. But, if cheap catering supply coffee easy to see why Stray’s keep quiet.
Second cappuccino arrived a little quicker. It too looked disgusting, a quarter of an inch of froth and foam sitting above the cup. I dipped my spoon in. There may have been coffee somewhere in the bottom of my cup if plumbed the depths my spoon came back up with a slight brown tinge.
A tiny sip, scalding hot, tasted disgusting.
The cookie I had ordered came later. It was not good, sugary and sweet, cheap chocolate, sugar held together with starch with a few crumbs of cheap chocolate added. Not a quality cookie.
I was pleased I did not have anything to eat. Not going by the coffee or the cookie.
I was also pleased I did not have anything to eat, the vile stomach churning stench emanating from the kitchen, I was tempted to ask but thought best not to know.
I asked for a bag for remnants of my cookie. To my surprise a brown paper carrier bag. Surprise turns to shock when I look inside and see my cookie sitting in a plastic box.
Care for the environment, plastic pollution, must have passed Stray’s by.
I walked out, my disgusting cappuccino left untouched. I should have demanded a refund.
I hold no great store with TripAdvisor trolls and fake reviews to ever consider as a reliable source, therefore I merely note in passing with no further comment that Stray’s is ranked at No 20 for Cafes, No 2 tea and coffee shops.
Stray’s claim to serve the best coffee in Newark, the board outside says so, the best coffee will drink all day. Putting to one side demonstrably not true, ranks as some of the worst coffee I have been served, with a service to match, and I have tried to some very bad coffee.
If this is the best coffee in Newark, how bad must be coffee in the other coffee shops?
It turns out, not only are Stray’s serving one of the worst coffees I have tried, served by clueless staff, I only had to walk a few metres down the street to find the claim demonstrably not true.
I popped in Balmforth & Co Coffee House housed in a beautiful old building. Ordered a cappuccino. It was reasonable, in another league to what I had been served at Stray’s. I showed the staff what I had been served at Stray’s. They started laughing.
Stray’s are expanding. Opening in Oakham, Stamford and Lincoln.
Lincoln is saturated with greasy spoon cafes serving bad coffee and corporate coffee chains serving bad coffee.
What seems like a bad joke, Stray’s is offering barista training.
Newark lies half way between Lincoln and Nottingham, hop on a train and spoilt for choice. In Lincoln Coffee Aroma and Madame Waffle. In Nottingham, Cartwheel Coffee, Wired, Outpost Coffee and The Speciality Coffee Shop.
The following day a coffee at Madame Waffle served by a young lady who had only started a few days previous in the month and still learning. She made a coffee that was in another league to what Stray’s are serving.
— to be continued —
Butter Market
January 29, 2020I looked in Butter Maket, enatance newt to the soup shop in the little alley.
Currently under resoration. But shocking, owned by the local copuncil, have kicke dout all the local bsuinesses,and and one of the busynesses theya re bring in si Cosy Club.
— to be continued —
The Soup Dwagon
January 29, 2020I stumbled upon The Soup Dwagon, a tiny little shop hidden down a little alley, Chain Lane.
Serving soup, a choice of three different, and that was all the shop served.
A wonderful find. What I love to see, a shop with the emphasis on quality, not serving paninis
A choice of Stilton and broccoli, carrot and coriander or mushroom. I chose mushroom.
The soup came with a choice of bread rolls.
I was their only customer, sadly soup in takeaway, for which the lady apologised. I was shown some beautiful bowls they will be using once a dishwasher installed.
My mushroom soup was excellent.
Cold bleak day in Newark
January 29, 2020Newark is one of those places one passes through but never visits. Maybe change trains for London King’s Cross or alight from a King’s Cross train.
Midway between Lincoln and Nottingham, trains pass through en route.
I did visit once. I noticed a large market square, rows of market stalls, but no market. I was told Wednesday. Whatever day I visited, it was the wrong day, not Wednesday.
Today was Wednesday. An LNER Azuma train to Newark North Gate, which was surprisingly busy, then walk into Newark.
I did not encounter a soul on the way. Even when I reached the town centre, or at least the edge of the town centre, still deserted. It was only when I reached the market was there people about, and even then not many.
And the market, a couple of miserable stalls and that was it.
What I did notice, the number of tea shops and cafes which seemed to outnumber the people.
I looked in a general provisions store, yes they do still exist, and next door jars of coffee beans. But nearly every jar was dark roasted.
They roast their own coffee beans. I asked did anyone serve their coffee? Yes, Secret Garden. I was told where to find, but never did find.
The other thing I noticed, everywhere closed at four if not earlier.
I then walked down a little alley, I think was called Chain Lane, and there found a delightful place, soup, a choice of three different, and that was all the shop served. What I love to see, a shop with the emphasis on quality, not serving paninis
I was their only customer, sadly soup in takeaway, for which the lady apologised.I was shown some beautiful bowls they will be using once a dishwasher installed.
My mushroom soup was excellent.
I looked in the Butter Market, currently being renovated by the local council. They have kicked out all the little independents, for what, to bring in Cosy Club. A very very bad move, a crap corporate chain, fake 1930s bar, so fake a Monty Python parody of fake. No lesson learnt from destruction of Sincil Street in Lincoln, the local council in bed with the local Coop. Why do local councils not learn, build on what you have , what makes you unique, not destroy to make every town centre look kike every other ugly town centre.
It was then find Stray’s, claimed to serve best coffee in Newark. A stupid claim to make, as usually means they don’t.
What I found, a greasy spoon cafe serving very bad coffee.
I asked for burger, claimed to be homemade. Did not have. Offered chicken burger. Yuk, No thanks.
I ordered a coffee. Service abysmal. A long wait.
When it arrived, looked disgusting, cappuccino carpet bombed with chocolate. A tiny sip, scalding hot, tasted disgusting.
I took it back. Then had argument, told I should have said if I did not want chocolate, the till said chocolate.
I asked of the coffee they use. No one knew. The bags of coffee on sale, appeared to be catering supply coffee, no roast date.
Second cappuccino arrived a little quicker. It too looked disgusting, a quarter of an inch of froth and foam sitting above the cup. I dipped my spoon in. There may have been coffee somewhere in the bottom of my cup if plumbed the depths my spoon came back up with a slight brown tinge.
A tiny sip, scalding hot, tasted disgusting.
The cookie I had ordered came later. It was not good, sugary and sweet, cheap chocolate.
I was pleased I did not have anything to eat. Not going by the coffee.
I was also pleased I did not have anything to eat, the vile stomach churning stench emanating from the kitchen, I was tempted to ask but thought best not to know.
My cappuccino left untouched. I should have demanded a refund.
Then a little real ale shop. They had cans from the brewery I had visited in Sneinton Market a couple of weeks ago. But not the beer I had tried a couple of weeks ago. Tried an alternative.The brewery makes a beer once, then tries something new, never or rarely, the same beer twice.
The Real Ale Shop had an excellnt range of beer, cans, bottles and growlers.
I then came across a little coffee shop as I headed back to the market square.
Beautiful old building both outside and inside.
I had a coffee. Not the greatest but far better than what I had at Stray’s which must count as one of the worst I have ever been served.
This little coffee shop, they need to source better coffee, then it will be a really top class coffee shop.
Back to a butcher I had spotted earlier. Not long gone three, already everything packed away. Picked pork chops and Lincolnshire sausages.
Tried the Lincolnshire sausages a couple of days later. Not very good, not in the same league as Redhill Farm or the butcher at Heighington.
Back to the general provisions store, a couple of slicers of ham, then head to the station, this time Newark Castle.
Now cold, raining, not pleasant at all.
Cross the River Trent, cross railway line.
At the station, on the platform a bus shelter.
A few minutes wait for a train. I was pleased to leave and get on a warm train.
— to be continued
Lincoln Pier Cafe revisited
January 27, 2020One cannot develop taste from what is of average quality but only from the very best. — Goethe
It is not often I revisit a coffee shop where I have a bad experience, occasionally I do, maybe I am a glutton for punishment.
The last time I visited Lincoln Pier Cafe a month and half ago, it was not a good experience, it was like walking into a morgue and the coffee was not good.
Then it was early afternoon, today late morning.
It was still like walking into a morgue, today the sun shining through the windows improved the atmosphere a little.
And the coffee?
The coffee was worse than my previous visit, and then it was not good. A vile taste, and even worse it left a vile aftertaste.
I do not blame the baristas, far from it, it is the cheap catering supply coffee the baristas are being asked to work with. No matter how hard one tries, it is impossible to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.
The blame lies squarely with whoever is responsible for buying this cheap catering supply coffee. Either they are cutting corners and buying the cheapest coffee they can find or they have no sense of taste. Probably both.
There is absolutely no excuse these days for buying cheap catering supply coffee not when spoilt for choice with roasteries who deliver coffee to be proud of.
Dark Woods for example. I do not care for their basic blends, but even these are better than the rubbish currently buying, their singe origins are excellent. Then there is The Blending Room in Hull. Though do not even have to look that far, on their doorstep Seven Districts, support local businesses.
Ripping out the widescreen TVs would improve the ambience.
I would not wish to invite a guest to share a cup of coffee at Lincoln Pier Cafe as to do so would be to insult them.
For staff and students, venture off campus, take a walk to Coffee Aroma, it is not far, where you will be served excellent coffee, and they serve food.
Walk a little further, Madame Waffle. Also renowned locally for their Belgian waffles.
If wish to buy a bag of coffee beans, then either Coffee Aroma or Madame Waffle, Coffee Aroma has Has Bean, Madame Waffle Square Mile, two highly recommended coffee roasteries.
Staff, students and visitors deserve better, though compared with tax-dodging corporate chains serving vile disgusting undrinkable coffee a small step in the right direction. But need to try harder, showcase what good coffee should be like, have guest coffees, but please do not cut corners with cheap catering supply coffee from a food and drinks company.
What is depressing, is that this could be an excellent coffee shop, employ skilled baristas invested in quality equipment, then cut corners sourcing poor quality commodity coffee.
Misty day in Nottingham
January 22, 2020Dawn dense fog.
En route to Nottingham very misty.
Nottingham damp but not cold.
Looked in Hopkinson as Dash Vegan has relocated from Cobden Chambers.
Dash Vegan sadly not worth a visit. It was not at its previous location. Not even muesli.
Then on to Ugly Bread Bakery.
Ugly Bread Bakery was heaving, a queue to the door.
I retraced my steps to Paste. Food is excellent but. Glum waitress leads me to a table, no smile, no hi how are you, I am sat by a radiator, too hot, loud music,. I get up and walk out.
Most of the people now decanted from Ugly Bread Bakery. I had hoped for the filled bread roll I had seen on my previous visit to Nottingham, but they change daily what is on offer. I settle for focaccia bread filled with Stilton cheese and mushrooms. It was then toasted, though would have been better not. I did not expect to be served with a little greenery.
Ugly Bread Bakery also serve pizza and cakes. All from their own bakery.
Decor run down chic.
It was then to Luisa’s bean to bar craft chocolate, continue conversation from previous week and to sample more of her delicious chocolate.
To Outpost Coffee, excellent cappuccino.
I suggested stock chocolate from Luisa’s. Yes, would love to, but limited space.
To Ideas on Paper. I should have picked up more magazines on previous visit as now nearly everything gone from back issues in half price sale.
Quality magazines do not date.
I mentioned stocking Cacao. Question though is how limited the market for a magazine devoted to chocolate?
Too long in Ideas on Paper. I was unlikely to make the train.
Therefore to The Speciality Coffee Shop.
Michelangelo suggests I try a Sumatra as an espresso.
I do not usually drink an espresso, I find too strong, too harsh. I have though occasionally enjoyed an espresso, but it has to be exceptional coffee.
Michelangelo suggest drink slowly. Take a sip, a few minutes, take another sip, as it cools down.
I follow his advice.
Yes, an excellent espresso. Smooth with fruity notes.
I suggested stock chocolate from Luisa’s. Yes, would love to, but too hot, chocolate would melt and would not do justice to the chocolate.
I pick up a cake as I head out to the station.
Train pulls in as I walk along the platform at Nottingham Station. As always way down the platform.
Train, packed in like sardines, one door out of order. Train leaves late due to time to load the passengers. Garbled incomprehensible announcements on the train. Not an acceptable service. This should be at least three-coaches, not two.
=== to be continued =====
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