TIMBERYARD

Timberyard is on the old site of Lawson's Timber, somewhere I visited for bits and pieces for projects while at the Art School, just next door. It's unusual to find such an industrial space, just off the Grassmarket in Edinburgh, and thankfully the Radford family (formerly of Blue and The Atrium) have embraced it with a white wash and a soft glow of basic bulbs on knotted, basic white cables hanging from the high ceilings. It's so un-Edinburgh, so simple...and so excellent. The concept behind the newly opened venue includes an awareness of sustainability and the environment which not only describes the offering but also the interior. There are polished railway sleepers as tables and the reuse of furniture from their previous venues, as well as reclaimed antique pieces like the old school blackboard displaying the specials. I look forward to returning and seeing how the remaining areas evolve. I've heard rumours of space for a gallery, on the level above the restaurant, in the future, and was too busy enjoying my tasty mallard breast, amazing hot smoked trout and delicious chocolate and salted hazelnut pudding, to get a chance to see the private dining room or south facing courtyard.

My CV is rich in every level of 'front of house' hospitality positions in the years before I finally knuckled down and committed to art school. I loved working in the industry and it's where I met my husband and many friends. In fact, it was probably the most carefree and fun time of my life, so far...it helped that I was in my incorrigible and confident early twenties! With the husband still firmly in the hospitality trade as I've mentioned here and here, I think I'll always feel akin to those on the service side of the bar, so I can never be too critical (unless they are absolutely useless.) As a customer, I've managed to let go of the little things (empty glasses left on tables etc.) and can spot an 'up sell' a mile off but I also appreciate the relentless and sometimes thankless slog the job can be. Edinburgh can feel like a very small town sometimes with a few very difficult customers to please so I refuse to put more pressure on those who are already doing an excellent job.

The service at Timberyard was perfect; attentive, knowledgeable and polite ...and they make an excellent negroni. So... go.
Image 2 by Susie Lowe. All other images from Timberyard Tumblr

The Last Word

Introducing...the husband's new bar!
As I mentioned here, The Last Word Saloon opened on 1st May. It's an old school, American saloon-style cocktail bar in Stockbridge, Edinburgh with a cracking list of expertly made drinks. It doesn't look too bad either.
I was involved in the interior but only to the extent that a wife can be when the 'clients' are pretty strong minded and creative anyway...either way the result looks awesome (as does that ridiculously handsome bartender). It appears my new moto is 'there is no such thing as too many filament bulbs'...

So, who wants to babysit so I can go and sit at the bar and drink rum?
Photographs by dnanderson

Wanted...

I recently asked the husband if he'd like to suggest a few things for a men's gift guide. The suggestions are still coming in thick and fast... and yet I still don't know what to get him?!
This guide is heavily influenced by him with a couple of little ideas from me...

1. The World According To Vice 2. Comic covered notebook 3. Gibson White Flying V 4. Tickets to I'll Be Your Mirror in Tokyo curated by ATP 5. The Flavour Thesaurus 6. Original Dr. Martens 7. Flaming Heart Scotch Malt Whisky 8. Trumpers West Indian Limes Shaving Soap 9. Edwin Slim Fit Jeans

...to the bar!

In honour of London Cocktail Week, I thought I'd post a little something of what the husband has been getting up to...
As I've mentioned before, here and here, my husband co-owns a couple of popular little bars in Edinburgh, one of which is called Bramble. Their knowledge and skill on 'all-things-booze' has won them a handful of awards & accolades. Most recently, the husband was asked to create a few bespoke drinks for the launch of 'Darnley's View', a gorgeous new handcrafted, London dry gin, by renowned vintners and spirit merchants, the Wemyss family of Fife, Scotland.
Although Wemyss have opted for photographs with a fresh, clean white background for their press release imagery, I wanted to show you these.Bramble is a basement bar in the New Town...it has very little signage, is difficult to find and evokes the speakeasies of the prohibition era. Once you find it you're guaranteed an excellent drink or 3; from a newly invented creation to the classics. You can pretty much tell all that by looking at these brilliant photographs by Peter Urwin.
No prizes for guessing that one of the trends in the cocktail world at present is the ongoing quest to find the prettiest, vintage glasswear possible?!
...anyone else kinda thirsty...?

Partners & Spade

The creative duo of Andy Spade and Anthony Sperduti have a talent for developing uniquely powerful brand experiences. They opened their studio, Partners & Spade, in lower Manhattan in 2008.
Partners & Spade, helped launch US brand, J. Crew’s first-ever menswear shop, known as the Liquor Store, at West Broadway and White Street in Tribeca. They converted this abandoned tavern into an upscale men’s clothing shop without losing the strong original identity of the site.

Their website, alone is worth a visit.
All images from Partners & Spade

...thirst is a dangerous thing...

Print available from keepcalmgallery.com

Kitchen News II {Apple Crisps}

{News and reviews from my kitchen, also known as my husband's laboratory Vol. II}
As explained in a previous post, my husband is in the drinks trade. He often experiments in our kitchen, blending flavours, experimenting with garnishes, and generally making a mess.
These apple crisps were to garnish a drink at a recent distillery function, where he was asked to present a drink using the distillery's blended whisky.
They're so easy to prepare and make a great healthy snack (when not floating in a whisky based cocktail!).
Once again, I took pictures and got in the way...

Thinly slice the apples on a mandolin

Squeeze lemon juice over them to stop the going brown

Smother each slice in sugar syrup (half sugar half water: boil for 2 minutes then cool) and lay flat on a greaseproof baking sheet

cover with another greaseproof layer to keep them from curling and put in the oven on a very low heat (100 degrees) for about 4 hours...keep an eye on them though!

These were in a little too long and came out a bit dark

...but were very tasty!

Unfortunately these didn't make it to the function as they were too dark but we enjoyed them none-the-less!

Joanna Austin

I saw these illustrations at the Edinburgh College of Art Degree show in 2007 and I still love them. There was another one of a drunken couple on a bike and a red shoe flying through the air!
Last I heard, Joanna was doing some travelling. Hoping she'll be back at some point as I love her work!

'I've been working on illustrations for fiction novels, F.Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Collected Short Stories' being one. These images are from a collection of ink drawings for this book from which I have made screen print editions.'

Joanna Austin

Unfortunately there are very few links for her online and her website is no longer running but she entered the V&A competition for 'Illustrator of the Year' in 1997 so if you contact them I'm sure they will pass on her email address.

Sorry about the lack of info folks, I just wanted to share her work with you...

UPDATE: Jo is on the Caymen Islands and her prints are available here

Kitchen News I {Maraschino Cherries}

{News and reviews from my kitchen, also known as my husband's laboratory}
There’s a bar in a basement just one block from the main street in the centre of Edinburgh. It has limited signage, intimate nooks, and a serious selection of spirits. Not for the vodka and diet coke brigade. This place has an extensive range of specialist product that can be shaken or stirred into anything you desire or ask the bartender to invent. It just so happens that it’s owned by a man (and his business partner) with a very proud wife - me.
The bar team has been very successful and won a couple of awards for their innovation and all round excellence. Always keen to try new techniques, recipes and potions, my kitchen has seen many an experiment/disaster/triumph. From jellied gin and tonic squares to saffron and cardamom sugar syrup to homemade grenadine…made from pomegranates…who knew? Well...I didn’t…
Anyway, he recently made a batch of Maraschino cherries; a garnish for many a classic and contemporary concoction. I took photos and generally got in the way…


Add a 50:50 mixture of sugar syrup (50:50 water:sugar bring to the boil for 2 minutes then cool) and Maraschino liqueur to fresh cherries in sterilised Kilner jars and heat slowly, over an hour to 55C. Then keep heating for 30 mins to 80C. Then maintain that temp for 10 minutes and they're done!

leave them in the sealed jars for a couple of months and then they'll be ready to 'pop' into your Manhattan...easy!

For more information on the bar click here.