Albert's Schloss, Manchester

June 30, 2016

Last weekend during a trip to Manchester my friend and I discovered Albert's Schloss. Located under the famous Albert Hall on Peter Street, the bar-restaurant has been designed as a Bavarian palace, Bavaria being a region of Southern Germany where the locals consume the most beer on the planet. The average annual consumption in the area is 170 litres per person!

Albert's Schloss is so dedicated to sourcing the best beer that they make weekly beer runs to the Pilsner factory in the Czech Republic to fill the bars 4 x 900 pint copper tanks.

The beer sourced must be drunk within seven days and a board on the barrels counts down the days remaining. This commitment to fresh beer, alongside a unique Alpine cocktail menu, mean Albert's Schloss has become one of the city’s most exciting venues.

The interior is part chateau part Alpine retreat, only with a gigantic bar taking centre stage. Copper piping and wood features heavily with most of the materials being reclaimed, including doors from the former BBC studios on Oxford Road. There are roaring fires, a gentleman’s snug and cozy booths to squish into with your friends.

My favourite feature had to be a button which you can press to have a bottle of Prosecco delivered straight to your table. I’m thinking of installing one of those at home!

We visited on Saturday evening and immediately made full use of the drinks on offer. My memory is a little hazy but I can recall drinking some of the bar’s own range of schnapps, which comes in flavours including chocolate, salted caramel, mint, and orange. In between drinks we danced the night away in front of the band. Live music plays on Friday and Saturday nights, featuring saxophonists and performers who dance on the tables in amongst the crowd.

The bar has an incredible atmosphere. Downstairs there is a free photo booth for visitors to get snap some obligatory selfies.

The following morning we awoke with seriously sore heads and in much need of a hangover cure before catching our trains home. We managed to drag ourselves back to Albert’s having spied the brunch menu the night before.

A lot of the brunch menu comes from Schloss’s own in-house bakery which creates pretzels, doughnuts and sourdough loaves. Over 200 items are baked fresh everyday and it has become one of Manchester’s finest artisan bakeries.

We both ordered a steaming pot of tea to revive us while we drooled over the menu. I chose poached eggs on a potato rösti with hollandaise and a side of buttery sourdough.

My friend had smashed avocado, feta and poached eggs on rye with a side of bacon.

It was the perfect hangover cure, comfort food sat by a fire while drinking copious amounts of tea. The waiter who served us was excellent. We didn’t catch his name but he was so helpful making sure we had everything we needed and explained that we could help ourselves to some freshly made fruit juice. We’ll definitely return next time we’re in Manchester!

Thank you Albert's Schloss, you might have ruined us with drunken debauchery on Saturday night but you thoroughly made up for it with your delicious Sunday brunch.

Albert's Schloss

27 Peter Street, Manchester, M2 5QR

0161 833 4040

Charlotte Tilbury Skincare Review

June 15, 2016

In March I met celebrity makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury. You can read more here. I left our meeting with lots of goodies to try but wanted to spend some time using each of the products before I reviewed them.

I’ve split the reviews into skincare and makeup. Skincare first…

Charlotte’s Magic Cream (£70.00) - For over 20 years Charlotte mixed her own age-defying potion for supermodels and celebrities. It became known in the industry as “Charlotte’s Magic Cream”. It’s a secret mix of anti-age ingredients which are now packaged in a gorgeous vintage style pot for us ordinary folk to buy. The cream itself is very moisturising but settles into the skin without leaving any greasiness, giving a light dewy finish. Would I buy this product? Yes. It really suits my skin which is very sensitive and my makeup sits really nicely on top of it. I’ve received lots of compliments recently about my makeup but I actually think it’s largely down to this product. Although it is on the pricey side, I think it is worth the investment. I’ve been using it now for about two months and am still only half way through the pot. It gives my dehydrated skin a real glow and is the perfect base for my foundation. It also contains SPF which is important in a day-cream!

Magic Night Rescue Cream (£100.00) - This is a really rich luxurious night cream, it feeds your skin overnight with a mix of 8 ingredients, including Winter Daphne Stem Cell Extract and Time-Released Retinol. Would I buy this product? Probably not. It did leave my skin lovely and moisturised but I found it a bit too heavy to put on just before bed (most of it ended up on my pillow which, at £100.00 a pop, is a bit of a waste). I probably should have applied it earlier in the evening to allow it plenty of time to settle in before going to bed but, realistically, I’m not disciplined enough to take my makeup off when I first get home from work. I‘ve still got most of the pot left which I’m going to keep using as a moisturising treatment for whenever my skin feels dry. When I met Charlotte she applied the cream to one of my hands and there was a clear difference when compared to my other hand, so I can definitely attest that it works but, for me, I’d rather use the Magic day cream as a moisturiser.

Magic Eye Rescue (£40.00) - This claims to reduce the appearance of eye bags and dark circles, smooth crow’s feet, minimise fine lines and re-energise the delicate under eye area. It’s a rich moisturiser which is really refreshing when patted onto the skin. Would I buy this product? Yes. You only have to apply a tiny amount, a little goes a long way so the price doesn’t concern me. I’ve noticed a difference in my under-eye concealer when using this product underneath first. My concealer no longer dries out and creases after a few hours of wear.

* The above three products can be purchased together as the Magic Skin Trilogy for £195.00

Multi-Miracle Glow (£45.00) - This product comes in a huge pot. It can be used in several ways, either as a cleanser, a mask or a balm. It’s like a gel but is very light on the skin and absorbs nicely. I use it mostly as a cleanser to remove my makeup at the end of each day and it leaves my skin lovely and soft. It has Sea Buckthorn Seed Oil and Cranberry Seed Oil which are anti-oxidant pure oils to moisturise the skin. It also had extracts of frangipani flower to soothe and purify dirt and makeup. Vitamins A, C and E also feature to smooth wrinkles. Basically a wonder product! Would I buy this product? Yes. It’s a gorgeous product to have on display in my bathroom with its rose gold lid and a real treat to use at the end of each day and for the size of the pot I think it’s good value.

Goddess Skin Clay Mask (£45.00) - This mask is based on an ancient Mediterranean beauty recipe, which combines nutrient-rich Spanish clay with Sweet Almond Oil. Would I buy this product? Yes. Unlike other clay masks this one does not dry out and harden. I use it a couple of times a week and my skin looks much brighter afterwards.

Lip Magic (£25.00) - A soothing lip balm to moisturise and plump the lips. Unlike other balms I’ve used, this works well with lipstick applied on top as it isn’t too greasy. I have actually been using this for daytime with a Charlotte Tilbury lip-pencil and they work really nicely together. Would I buy this product? Probably not. Shortly before I got this I purchased a Chanel lip balm which comes in bullet form, like a lipstick. I prefer this rather than having to put my finger in the pot, which is more hygienic. I’d definitely buy it again if it came in bullet form though as I really like the texture although I think £25.00 is a bit steep for a lip balm.

Supermodel Body (£45.00) When I met Charlotte she called this “Gisele in a tube”. It is a shimmery product to sculpt your limbs. It has a roll on metal applicator which makes it really easy to highlight down the centre of legs and arms. Would I buy this product? I used this when I was in Portugal recently and it was an ideal product to have on holiday to apply in the evenings and the scent wasn’t unpleasant like a lot of tanning products. I’d definitely buy to use on holiday again but probably wouldn’t buy it for every day use.

Take It All Off Eye Make Up Remover (£24.00) - An oil-rich cleanser, enriched with soothing organic cornflower water and regenerating Veronica Extract. Two pumps onto a cotton pad removes makeup while also caring for and replenishing the eyes. Would I buy this product? Yes. It removes makeup quickly if you apply it to a warm damp cotton pad and hold it against your eyes for 10 seconds. Makeup comes off with one swipe so no rubbing the delicate eye area. I also like the pump action which makes it really easy to use.

The Charlotte Tilbury makeup review will follow soon…..

Cocktail Saturdays was a guest of Charlotte Tilbury and was gifted the above products to review.

Hard Days Night Hotel, Liverpool

June 01, 2016

“We thought we’d be really big, in Liverpool” - Paul McCartney

Having been born and raised in Liverpool, it’s safe to say that the Beatles music has featured heavily In My Life. As such, I was very excited to receive an invitation to visit Hard Days Night, the world’s only Beatles themed hotel.

It is set in a grand, Grade II-listed building in the heart of Liverpool’s city centre, two minutes away from Liverpool One shopping. Just around the corner is Mathew Street and the world famous Cavern Club, where the Beatles rose to fame. The hotel is filled with Beatles memorabilia, from exclusive photographs and artwork on the walls and a Yellow Submarine jukebox in the lobby.

Beatles music, as you would expect, features throughout but not too much. Just enough to create a feel-good atmosphere and a buzz in the bar area. Underlying the musical theme is excellent service, contemporary interior decor and, most importantly, a stylish cocktail bar serving aptly named cocktails such as All You Need Is Love and Strawberry Fields.

I took my mum along with me who is a huge Beatles fan and who wanted to join me as a Day Tripper to visit the hotel. When we arrived we took a seat in the Lounge & Bar for a light meal. We each chose a sandwich and cocktail. My Grilled Halloumi and Tomato Fondue ciabatta (£6.76) was so tasty and much better than the usual bar food you receive in hotels, as was mum’s Roast Beef and Creamed Horseradish (£6.75). Both accompanied with a side of the most delicious chunky chips!

The Lounge & Bar is located in the heart of the hotel. With stunning imagery and artefacts of The Beatles all around. It’s where guests can also enjoy the hotel's famous afternoon tea and is also one of my favourite places to go to in the city to meet friends for a cocktail. On this occasion I had a Cosmopolitan and mum had a White Album Mojito, both £8.00.

Once we’d finished eating we went up to our room on the 4th floor. I was pleasantly surprised at how spacious the room was for a city centre hotel. There are 110 rooms in total ranging from luxury to deluxe. Despite being a themed hotel, the decor oozes class and sophistication. Taking pride of place above the bed was an original piece of Beatles inspired art names ‘Let it Be’, mum’s favourite Beatles song.

All of the rooms are equipped with free WiFi and an interactive LCD TV. Initially the technology in the room got the better of us and we considered phoning reception to ask for Help! but we persevered, promising ourselves We Can Work It Out. Sure enough the TV soon sprang into action and out blasted some classic hits while we enjoyed the view across the city from our private balcony.

The bed in the room was so comfortable, I slept like a log. Four Liverpool lads famously sang that Money Can't Buy Me Love, but it can buy you a thoroughly relaxing stay in this gorgeous hotel. If you really wanted to splurge, £650.00 will buy a night in the Lennon Suite, a stunning white room with it’s very own white grand piano.

The following morning I woke up feeling refreshed and thinking I Feel Fine. I went out onto the balcony to watch the sun come up before heading down for breakfast in Blakes restaurant.

Blakes is named after Sir Peter Blake who created the iconic sleeve for the Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band album. The restaurant houses original Beatles artwork including a centrepiece display of 60 images of icons from the album's sleeve.