Wahaca, Liverpool

With the exception of a few flimsy fajitas made at home, or a tray of nachos at the cinema, I’ve not tried much Mexican cuisine. Drinks are a different story (I’m looking at you Tequila!) So when my brother suggested trying a new Mexican restaurant for lunch, I wasn’t too enthused. However, he was paying….

Wahaca is a Mexican street food restaurant on College Lane in Liverpool One. The Wahaca restaurant group was created in 2007 by Masterchef winner Thomasina Miers. A move inspired by her travels to Mexico and falling in love with the country and cuisine. 

Miers teamed up with fellow Mexico enthusiast Mark Selby to open a restaurant back home. They aimed to recreate the vibrant colours, flavours and character that they had both experienced in Mexico’s markets. The group has since grown and now has 24 eateries throughout the UK. 

Determined to do things a little differently to the usual Mexican food offerings, the menu focuses on freshly prepared dishes designed for sharing. The restaurant sources tequila and mescal direct from Mexico.

Wahaca have an honest approach to their menu. An authentic meal experience that shows off the vibrancy and freshness of real Mexican food. Think freshly made guacamole with lime juice, ripe Hass avocados, seasonal vegetables and zingy salsas. 

The decor is equally as zingy. Bold blues, yellows and greens are used throughout. There's an outside terrace area for customers as well as a football table. This place will certainly brighten up a dull day. 

Our waiter, Joey, suggested we order 2-3 smaller dishes each to share between us.  My brother is also vegetarian which meant we could sample plenty of dishes during our visit.

Joey circled each of our choices on our paper menus. Shortly thereafter our dishes began arriving, as and when they were ready…

Plantain tacos with sweet and spicy chipotle adobe and feta.

Roasted sweet potato, feta and caramelised red onion wrapped in a crispy blue tortilla and dotted with salsa. 

Slow cooked black bean and cheese quesadillas. 

And, crispy fried chunks of sweet potato. 

So, am I a Mexican food convert? Put it this way, if Donald Trump knew authentic Mexican cuisine was this good, he definitely wouldn’t be building that wall!

Wahaca Liverpool

24 College Lane, Liverpool, L1 3DS

0151 541 9174

Middlethorpe Hall, York

“It has all been most interesting.” - Lady Mary Wortley-Montagu’s final words

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the stately homes of Great Britain began to feel the pressure of increased death duties and changing social landscapes. Combined with the impact of two World Wars, nearly a third of the UK’s grandest houses have perished over the years.

These stately homes were status symbols for the upper-class families of Great Britain, usually filled with fantastic collections of arts and antiquities.

After the second world war, planning restrictions and the National Trust meant that many of the houses were saved. A large portion of these homes are now accessible to the public and the contents within them can be enjoyed by all.

In recent years costume dramas such as Downton Abbey have depicted the life in imaginary aristocratic households. There has been a renewed interest in these homes and the reality behind the fiction of life upstairs and downstairs. The nation has a keen interest in the grand residences, especially the families and staff who occupied them.

Middlethorpe Hall in York is one such property. An elegant country house hotel built 300 years ago by Thomas Barlow in the “William and Mary-style”. Thomas was a prosperous master cutler who bought the estate in a bid to establish himself as a country gentleman. Donated to the National Trust in 2008, it still has the look and feel of a well-kept manor house rather than a 29 bedroom hotel. 

“What is a weekend?”

- Dowager Countess of Grantham (Maggie Smith), Downton Abbey

I visited a couple of weeks ago for a weekend break away with the girls. Our friend Joey was bidding us farewell as she’s off on an around-the-world adventure. It seemed only fitting that we gave her a celebratory send-off, and what better setting than Middlethorpe.

Sitting in 20 acres of beautiful manicured gardens and parkland, it even has it’s own lake and helipad. I decided to leave the chopper at home and took my trusty VW instead so I could nip into the city of York, which is a ten minute drive away. 

The hotel’s exceptional customer service began even before we’d arrived. A few days before our stay, I received an email with directions to the hotel from my home, as well as providing me with the weather forecast. I was also introduced to the hotel’s concierge service, who can book theatre tickets for guests, make restaurant reservations or arrange chauffeur driven services. Suitably impressed, it set the tone for the rest of our stay. 

Since there were three of us, we were accommodated in a courtyard suite, off the main house in the old stables. Following a laborious drive in the miserable British weather, I arrived to find our little sanctuary for the weekend. Our cute cottage had an open fire which was warming the room for our arrival.

There was a plate of homemade fudge and macarons to welcome us as well as a little note from Lionel Chatard, Director & General Manager of the hotel. Lionel worked at Claridge’s before moving to Middlethorpe, he leaves a hand-written note to every guest in the hotel’s 29 rooms. 

The cottage had it’s own kitchen, a lounge and dining area, a bathroom and three bedrooms. It was surprisingly spacious which is ideal when staying in a group. The decor is traditional, in parts it’s like stepping 300 years back in time.

The hotel is quite rightly unapologetic about this, “guests should not expect the hotel to be modern like new built establishments in town or country.” That being said, we noticed a few mod cons here and there, including Roberts radios, a Nespresso coffee machine and free Wi-Fi for all guest. 

As darkness fell we spruced ourselves up before heading over to the main hotel for our evening meal. The interior is olde-world grandeur, with an ornate oak staircase leading up to the luxury bedrooms. 

The staircase still bears some markings of Thomas Barlow’s grandsons, who carved their initials and the date into the oak “IN 1764 & SB”.

A large painting of Lady Mary Wortley-Montagu greets guests in the hall. Lady Mary is best known for introducing her knowledge of inoculation against smallpox to the UK.

She moved into Middlethorpe in 1713 when Thomas Barlow and his son went on the grand tour and let the house in their absence.

We were shown through to the regal sitting room for a pre-dinner cocktail. This room has billowing curtains and Georgian oil paintings. The hotel is so peaceful, the only sounds being the creaking floorboards and grandfather clocks tick-tocking away.

The food was delicious, as were the cocktails. Understandably Middlethorpe’s oak-panelled dining room comes out on top for fine-dining in York. The à la carte menu draws from the local area with vegetables straight from the hotel’s own gardens.

After our meal we returned to the cottage to get warm and cosy by the fire while watching our favourite festive film, The Holiday. 

After a hearty Yorkshire breakfast we made our way to the hotel spa for some pampering.

The spa is located in a charming cottage opposite the hotel. It has a 40’ heated swimming pool, a spa bath, whirlpool, steam room, sauna and gym. There are three massage and treatment rooms in the spa offering a whole host of treatments.

I’d recommend booking in advance as the spa can become very busy. We opted to have our nails done in preparation for an evening sampling York's array of cocktail bars. 

The next morning we awoke with sore heads and, feeling extremely lazy, had breakfast delivered to us in the cottage.

Well on the road to recovery, we packed our bags and waved Joey off on her adventure. I took a walk around the hotel grounds before tackling the drive home.

Apparently early risers often glimpse deer in the gardens. I wasn’t lucky on this occasion but I was happy enough walking in the fresh air and enjoying my peaceful surroundings. Middlethorpe is the perfect location for a luxurious Yorkshire escape. 

Middlethorpe Hall Hotel, Restaurant and Spa

Bishopthorpe Road, York, YO23 2GB

01904 641 241

*Cocktail Saturdays was a guest of Middlethorpe Hall

Manchester House, Manchester

“Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.” ― Jim Davis

People often talk about getting healthy in the New Year. Not me! I believe January should be about easing into the new year as gently and comfortably as possible, not depriving ourselves of life’s pleasures. With that in mind, my first post of 2017 is… a very indulgent afternoon tea. 

Lovely Sarah recently turned 30 so we decided to celebrate with tea, cakes and bubbles!

We opted for the plush Manchester House in Spinningfields, high up on the 12th floor of Tower Twelve. The Lounge at Manchester House is sleek but has a welcoming ambience with incredible views across the city. I visited late last year for cocktails and promised to return for afternoon tea.

I’ve experienced afternoon tea in many places but there’s undoubtedly something very special about dining in a restaurant with floor to ceiling windows enjoying panoramic views of a city.

It was lovely and quiet when we arrived on a Friday afternoon at 3pm. It felt like we’d escaped the hustle of the streets below. We were shown to our table, all of which are positioned looking out across Manchester, and began settling into our decadent surroundings.

Everything is displayed in a contemporary style, there isn’t a lace tablecloth or vintage china in sight. That being said, afternoon tea lovers won’t be disappointed. The obligatory delicate finger sandwiches, cakes and pastries all feature. 

The food was delivered on a two-tier chunky wooden stand. It was beautifully presented with a modern twist. We had three of everything so there was no fighting!  I had vegetarian options and my other friend, who has a nut allergy, was also well catered for. The birthday girl was more straightforward and ate from the usual afternoon tea menu. I was very impressed that we each had our own selection (well done Manchester House) and they all tasted amazing!

We started off with the bottom layer of sandwiches. I was happy to see that we were given a good variety, on different types of breads and wraps. We cleared these in record time before moving onto the scones, discovering which of us opted for Devonshire (cream on the bottom and jam on top) and which of us chose Cornish (cream on top and jam on the bottom). 

Next came the cakes! Few people could be disappointed with the selection of on offer. Macarons, chocolate fancies, Eton mess and an incredible eclair each.

We enjoyed our Champagne while watching the sun set over Manchester, leaving only the lights from the Christmas trees twinkling around us. 

The clock struck 5pm and the bar began to fill with city slickers, keen to enjoy a cocktail or two in one of The Lounge’s four heated outside terraces. We made room for them and continued drinking downstairs in the bars of Spinningfields. 

As if our day couldn’t get any better, we stumbled upon an outdoor bumper car track where we challenged each other to a race. The next day our various aches and pains proved that we’re no Lewis Hamilton behind the wheel but it was certainly a great way to end a memorable day. 

I definitely recommend Manchester House for a special occasion, the staff were all excellent and even left a birthday card on the table for Sarah, which was a lovely touch. Even if you don’t have an occasion to celebrate, still get dressed up and treat yourself. The perfect way to cheer yourself up during this cold and dark January. 

www.manchesterhouse.uk.com