Tag: Chester

Chester Craft Beer Festival 2019

What a difference a year makes. Last April the inaugural festival was blessed with perfect weather, warm and sunny and an ideal opportunity to get out the shorts and t-shirts.. Fast forward twelve months and we have storm Hannah to deal with. Driving rain, strong winds and a temperature of around eight degrees Celsius. Not ideal conditions for spending a few hours in a converted railway carriage shed that despite a roof is still very much open to the elements. Despite the weather the turn out was excellent though coats, scarves and hats were essential if you were to stay the distance.

Organisers Beer Heroes have put together a good selection of breweries, many of them from the north, with almost a hundred different beers on offer. So there was plenty to choose from in many different styles.

Top Rope. Run to the Helles. Dry Hopped Lager 5%. Golden in appearance with a slight haze. Aromas of lemon citrus, malt and resin. Low/medium bitterness. Palate is medium bodied with some nice hoppy citrus.

Kirkstall Brewery. Virtuous. Session IPA. 4.5%. Yellow, slight haze with a small thin head. Low/medium bitterness, nice carbonation. Flavours of lemon, malt and yeast. A crisp beer with a nice finish.

Fourpure. Hummingbird, Raspberry and Hibiscus Sour. 5.4%. Light red in appearance, hazy with a small head. Aromas of red fruits, raspberry, strawberry and floral notes. Nice texture and gentle sourness. Palate has lots of raspberry fruit. This has lovely balance and a great finish.

Cloudwater. A&W18 Marzen. 5.2%. Amber in appearance, clear with a good white head. Aroma is noticeably malty and biscuity. Low bitterness, gentle carbonation and nice texture. Flavours of malt and nutty biscuit. A nice finish.

Stone. Mojay. IPA. 7.6%. Light amber in appearance with a slight haze and a thin white head. Malty with some nice lemon citrus, biscuit and a hint of orange. Palate is low/medium bitterness with nice carbonation.

Gibberish. Passion Fruit Milkshake IPA. 5.2%. Yellow/orange, hazy and with a thin white head. Aroma is very fruity, passion fruit and pineapple with a hint of banana. Palate is low bitterness, gentle carbonation and a nice texture. Flavour is passion fruit with just a pleasant hint of sourness on the finish.

Gibberish. Jam Roll Poly Pudding. Wheat. 9%. Orange with a reddish tinge, cloudy with a thin off-white head. Aroma is a touch synthetic but the palate is much better with lots of red raspberry fruit, a nice texture and low bitterness.

Amundsen. Hop Circles. NEIPA. 7%. Yellow/orange in appearance, cloudy, nice off-white head. Tropical pineapple, mango and orange aromas. Low bitterness, nice texture and a good level of carbonation. Lovely balance with flavours of mango, pineapple, lime, orange and fruit salad sweets.

Northern Monk. Patrons Project. 13.03. Seismic Shift. NE Double IPA. 8.5%. Yellow, cloudy/murky, thin off-white head. Aromas are tropical with mango dominating and orange. Low bitterness and lovely texture. This shows perfect balance with bags of tropical fruit, lemon and a nice touch of sweetness. Excellent.

Northern Monk. Glory. Double Dry Hopped Triple IPA. 10.5%. Yellow in appearance, hazy/cloudy with a good white head and nice lacing. Aromas of mango, pineapple, passion fruit and peach. Beautiful creamy texture, low bitterness. The palate continues the tropical fruit theme with a nice touch of orange. This really is very nice but beware the ABV, it’s easy not to notice it.

Runaway. BA Gingerbread Stout. 7.3%. Dark, opaque with a small tan head. Medium bodied with a good level of carbonation but the ginger here is very understated.

Brew York. Stay True. Blueberry Milkshake Stout. 8.1%. Dark, opaque with a thin tan head. Aromas of dark fruits with a nice savoury note. Palate is medium with low bitterness. Flavours of dark berry fruits, coffee and chocolate. A nice tart sourness on the finish.

Brew York. BA Empress Tonkoko. Vanilla, Cacao and Coconut Milk Stout. 10.6%. Aromas of coconut and vanilla abound and give this a most comforting smell. This really is lovely stuff with beautiful texture supporting the flavours dominated by coconut and vanilla but with a nice touch of chocolate and a hint of caramel. Complex and well balanced.

Amundsen. BA Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookie. Imperial Stout. 10.5%. Dark and opaque with a tan head. Aromas of coconut, almond and caramel. The palate is low bitterness and there is creamy coconut, chocolate and caramel. Once again a complex and well balanced beer and a real winner.

Chef’s Table Chester

Music Hall Passage is a narrow alley that connects Northgate Street to St. Werburg Street in Chester and can be used as a short cut from the city centre to the Cathehdral. However if you didn’t know it was there you could easily walk past the entrance on Northgate Street. This would be a shame because Music Hall Passage is home to a very fine restaurant indeed. The Chef’s Table is only small with 30 covers and a tiny kitchen from which they produce some very acceptable food indeed.

We visited at lunchtime on a weekday and were able to get a table without a prior reservation but this might not necessarily be the cast in the evening or at weekends. The lunch menu offers 2 courses for £18 or 3 for £22 which is very good value indeed for the quality on offer. Portions were good sized and we didn’t feel that we needed any side dishes for our particular choices. The menu is comprehensive with a good range of dishes, including vegan options. Ingredients are sourced locally as far as is possible.

Slow cooked octopus with chorizo, sweetcorn summer minestrone and haricot beans

Mushroom and avocado on toasted focaccia and served with red onion chutney

Roast stonebass, smoked haddock, Cheshire saffron risotto and a soft poached egg.

The stonebass was the dish of the day, beautiful fish and rich, creamy risotto.

The wine list is short but offers adequate choice to accompany the dishes on offer. We chose a glass of Gran Cerdo Blanco. Gonzalo Grijalba. Unfortunately I forgot to record the vintage but the 2017 is currently available in stores. This is a natural, organic wine with aromas of apricot, peach  and a lovely floral component that make for a very appealing wine. The palate is medium bodied with lovely balance and lingering flavours of stone fruit. It accompanied the stonebass perfectly and is great value for money.

A very nice lunch. I am sure a return visit is likely.

A Day Out in Chester

The walled city of Chester in the North West of the United Kingdom is  a perfect destination for a day out. Whatsmore many activities in the city can be done for free. The city itself is relatively compact and this makes it ideal for walking and this of course is a great way to take in everything that this wonderful, historic city has to offer.

Walk the City Walls – the origin of the wall dates back to Roman times when they were designed as part of the fortifications of the city. Although modified in the following centuries the wall is almost a complete circle around what was the medieval city boundary. At almost two miles in length a circuit of the walls can be completed in an hour, allowing for a gentle stroll and a few stops for photographs. The busiest section is that around Eastgate where there is also the famous Eastgate Clock.

For much of the rest of the walk you may well be largely on your own depending on the time of year. The walk affords excellent views of the amphitheatre, the River Dee, The Roodee racecourse and Chester Cathedral.

Walk The Rows

The Rows are a series of covered walkways on the main streets which are at the first floor level and give access to a further set of shops. They have existed in Chester since medieval times and are unique to Chester. They are to be found on the four streets that run out from Chester Cross in the centre of the city.

The Town Crier – proclamations are read by the city’s town crier at midday from Tuesday to Saturday in the summer months. At the Chester Cross in the centre of the city

Chester Cathedral – built of red sandstone in the gothic style the cathedral is an imposing structure in the centre of the city. Entry is free but they do suggest voluntary contribution of £4

It is also possible to visit the cathedral gardens where you can see a collection of birds of prey and even watch a display of them in flight. There is however a cost for this of £5 per adult and £4 per child. The entrance to the gardens is b y the city wall.

Roman Amphitheatre – the largest Roman Amphitheatre excavated in the UK and dating back to the first century it is an imposing piece of history surrounded as it is by modern day traffic. Only part of the original structure is visible, the remainder being under buildings, but it is enough to give you sense of the place which was big enough to hold up to seven thousand people.

The River Dee – The Groves is a paved walkway on the bank of the river and is only a short walk from the Amphitheatre and City Walls.

It is a pleasant area and well worth a stop on your tour of the city. From here it is possible to take a river cruise up river or cross the pedestrian bridge to explore Chester Meadows, an area of grassland on the south bank.

Chester also has numerous cafés, restaurants and bars if you are in need of refreshment and just need to relax for a few minutes in busy day sightseeing.