That’s right folks, free up your diary and dig out the stretchy pants because Restaurant Week is Back! And luckily for me, so am I, bringing you all of the latest info and top tips on where to grab the best eats as I once again join the ambassador squad.
This years second instalment, running from the 15th to the 21st of July , sees the return of some familiar places along with a bunch of friendly new faces joining the lineup too, leaving you guys completely and utterly spoiled for choice when it comes to dining out next week.
For the rare few of you who haven’t encountered the culinary delights of Restaurant week before, let me recap what it’s all about. For one week only, the best bistros, restaurants, cafes and diners that Aberdeen has to offer unite in offering you lucky lot exceptionally good deals on dining out. Across the majority of those involved, you can bag yourself a two course lunch for just £10, or a three course dinner for a tiny £20, absolute bargain!
Topolabamba
The Braided Fig
Kirkview Cafe
The best way to size up all of the possibilities and and schedule how to best fit in as much tasty grub as humanly possible is to head to the website,
where you can view full menus, but I’ll warn you, do not do this on an empty stomach because your mouth will water!
Given that the hospitality is one of the few industries that continues to ride high in this economic climate, why is it that we find ourselves frequenting the same old haunts week in, week out when there are a multitude of unique and enticing venues right around any given corner?Aberdeen Inspired aims to break our bad eating habits and whet our appetites for trying something new and unknown by orchestrating this incredible event which is growing in popularity with each turn now that the secret is well and truly out.
You can check out a whole bunch of reviews from previous Restaurant Week’s by myself and the other lovely members of the blog squadhere, but this time round I’ll also be bringing you a brand new review of of somewhere that I’ll be experiencing for the first time,The City Bar & Diner, which has a menu so darned appetizing it makes me want to run to the fridge for a snack just to satiate the salivation it causes!
Stay tuned onInstagram this week and get ready to get hungry as I bring you live feedback of my dining experiences along with my recommendations must-try menus that you really shouldn’t miss out on next week. You should absolutely go and follow the other fabulous bloggers involved too for more tantalising tasters of the goods on offer, and you can do so by finding themhere. As if that wasn’t quite enough scoop for you, let’s not forget thatSociety Magazine are covering the whole event too, so you really have no excuse to miss out on this phenomenal week of foodie goodness!
Get booking guys because this is going to be a busy one, and if you spy me waddling up the street clutching a big round belly, don’t get excited, I guarantee you it’s just a really massive food baby. Diet starts after Restaurant Week, right?
If you didn’t hear about Aberdeen Inspired nights last year, first of all, where were you hiding?! Down at the Green in the heart of the city centre, groups of friends and families flocked down in their droves to enjoy some of Aberdeen’s finest local catering in the sunshine. You can read all about the first instalment in my previous post here.
The little used area, slap bang in the centre of town, provided the perfect location and became a hustling, bustling, hive of activity, art and good times, and I whiled away many a weekend eating and drinking way too much there across the summer.
Also playing host to the Nuart walking tours, the Green will once again be transformed in to a hub of cultural and gastronomical goodness for one weekend every month, and I can’t really think of a better reason to get out of the house and enjoy our ever improving city.
Image by Snap Digital.
The first event of the season in April which coincided with the launch of Nuart saw an outstanding 15,000 people descend upon the Green across the weekend, and with good reason. The BF and I took part in a wee promo video for Aberdeen Inspired, which not only means that you’ll see our mugs popping up all over the place for the next few months (lucky you!), but also meant that we got to enjoy some of the culinary delights on offer on the opening night, and boy, we were not disappointed!
Sourdough toast with halloumi from Avo
Images by Snap Digital
If I had one criticism of the event last year, it would be that the veggie options were pretty limited, or in some cases non-existent beyond a bag of chips, but I’m very glad to say that Aberdeen Inspired have fully remedied this, and the line-up this year is going to be stellar!
Roots Catering Southern Fried Chick’aint burger
Inspired Nights
Popsey’s pancakes
Roots Catering Loaded Fries
I was particularly delighted to see that Roots Catering were taking part – if you haven’t heard about their mouth-wateringly tasty vegan junk food offering, you can read about it in my post here. If you’re going to eat one thing during your visit, make it the loaded fries, you will not regret it!
The next event taking place from the 24th – 26th May features the following vendors bringing you all manner of delicious street food and drinks:
Food
Roots Catering, Shree Bheema, Muchacho , So Aberdeen…On Fire Pizzas, Bistro Verde, Edelwurst Catering, Eat Van Drink, Popseys Pancakes, Cute Cones
Drinks
99 Bar & Kitchen, McGinty’s Meal An’ Ale, Soul Beer Pop Up, Thanks a Latte
Fresh doughnuts from Popsey’s Pancakes
Burgers, pizzas, tacos, curry, doughnuts, you name, it, Inspired Nights have got you covered! The line-up will vary from one month to the next throughout the season, but if you ask me, this one will be hard to top. Entertainment will also be provided in the form of the finest disco classics and laid back tunes thanks to All Night Passion and Let It Bleed.
Admriing the latest Nuart addition by street artist, Smug. Image by Snap digital.
So get out there folks, immerse yourself in the smells and sounds of sizzling street food in the sunshine this summer, take in all of the latest art making our city look that little bit more interesting, feel inspired, and just have a bloody good time.
Don’t forget to follow Inspired Nights on Instagram to keep up with all of the latest too.
If you see me there, probably with a mouth full of tacos, come say hi!
Since Becca Cosmetics shot to internet fame riding high on the cheekbones of Insta-famous makeup gurus like the queen of glow herself, Jamie Genevieve, we’ve all wanted to get a piece of the shimmering, shining action.
We’ve all heard of, and most likely tried their best selling highlighter, the Shimmering Skin Perfector, with shades Opal and Champagne Pop taking pride of place in any self respecting glow-getter’s makeup bag. Personally I’m a Vanilla Quartz girl, however this shade only comes in travel size, for now; I’m hoping that if I continue spamming the Becca socials at an increasingly annoying rate, they’ll take note and add it to the full size range one day… A girl can dream!
Today I’m talking about some of their lesser know products from the foundation and primer ranges. It only makes sense that the brand at the top of the skin perfecting game would have some pretty phenomenal base products, right? Being a girl with more skin problems than I care to list, it’s full coverage all the way for me, so I picked up the Ultimate Coverage 24 Hour Foundation and the Ever Matte Poreless Priming perfector, both available from Cult Beauty and John Lewis.
Sure they’re totally Instagram worthy in terms of aesthetics and all that, but let’s get down to how they actually perform. We’ll start with the primer.
Ever Matte Poreless Priming Perfector– £28/40mls
First thing’s first, this product had extremely mixed reviews, some were less than encouraging. However some sung it’s praises so loudly that I figured it had to be worth a shot. Here’s what Cult Beauty have to say about this primer:
“a velvety-textured, oil-absorbent fluid, enriched with BECCA’s signature ‘Evermat’ complex – which soaks up excess sebum to leave skin looking velveteen and perfectly prepped for foundation.”
So here’s the thing, when they say oil free, they damn well mean it. This primer seems to somehow magically suck up every drop of oil from the face leaving it as matte as matte can be, with a super tacky finish (which I love) ready for your foundation to cling to and stay put all day.
Now if you’re an oily girl like me, you’ll love this, but be prepared for it NOT to work with a hydrating foundation on top, I guarantee you will struggle with separation. Also be prepared to work very quickly when applying this primer as it adheres to the skin with lightning speed. I recommend applying with your hands and letting the warmth from your fingertips help to spread the product and do the work for you. If you apply this with a brush or sponge, things will turn to shit. Fast.
One thing that I do love about this primer is the pore blurring effect, which given the lack of silicones is mighty impressive stuff, even my craterous pores appeared diminished and smoothed over.
Overall I’d say that this heavy duty primer is fantastic for those who mean business when it comes to achieving a super matte and long lasting finish, but avoid like the plague if you have even a hint of dryness in your skin if you’re looking for a natural/glowy look.
Ultimate Coverage 24 Hour Foundation – £32/30mls
Wow. I was so not prepared for this. If I thought that the primer meant business, then this foundation is be the Wall Street of full coverage. The formula is thicker than my thighs will make you WORK for that blend. Here’s the scoop:
“Ultimate Coverage 24 Hour Foundation has got you covered all day, every day. Virtually weightless, the formula has been painstakingly developed to strike the perfect balance between coverage and breathability; with 21 percent pure pigment and 22 percent water, this melts into skin and blends seamlessly for a natural, airbrushed effect.”
Being far too impatient to wait for a day off to pop down to the recently opened counter at John Lewis, I ordered the shade ‘Shell’ online, and it turned out to be a pretty spot on match. I first gave this a try on top of the Ever Matte Primer, and not gonna lie, it felt a bit like I was trying to spread cement on to my face. The combination of the two is just too much. Don’t get me wrong, after working super speedily to blend the foundation out before it instantly set (or at least felt that way!), the results were insane. Complete coverage and a crazy matte, smooth finish, but unless you are prepared to blend all the way down your neck, this foundation will not look natural in any kind of way.
I gave the the foundation a second run a couple of days later minus the primer and with a freshly moisturised base, also applying half the amount, and the results honestly were fabulous. Maybe I had just been a little over-zealous in my first attempt? Here’s the difference between the full beat and the watered down every day look…
As you can see, the full face on the left gave a far more yellowy tone to the foundation which really didn’t suit my skin tone, but with a lighter application I absolutely loved the flawless result it gave.
Now Ultimate Coverage may take a bit of trial and error while getting used to the application, but get it right and it might just become your BFF. When they say long lasting and waterproof, they ain’t lying. It saw me through a 16 hour Mayday bender without budging in the slightest – now that’s staying power!
Top tips for getting the application right:
Use a hydrating primer before applying and give yourself a mist with a hydrating spray right before beginning to blend to help the product spread.
Do NOT set with a powder, I promise you won’t need it and if you do, you’ll end up looking cakey.
Try not to touch your face throughout the day, it never really ‘sets’, but leave it well alone and it’ll look amazing all day long.
So there you have it folks, there are definitely pro’s and cons to both of these products, but for me they’re winners overall and one’s I’ll definitely be using as part of my ‘night out on the sesh makeup’ routine from now on.
Have you tried these products? I’d love to know what you think so leave a comment and let me know!
CHEESE. Who doesn’t love it? I think that if I could get away with having cheese in some form for breakfast, lunch and dinner without rapidly expanding to the size of a house and clogging the majority of my main arteries, I absolutely would.
As a vegetarian, cheese is basically a staple part of my diet; pizza, pasta, sandwiches, you name it, it’s probably got cheese in it. Imagine my sheer, delirious delight when I heard that someone was finally making of my long standing, entrepreneurial pipe dreams come true, and all in my very own home city. A cheese restaurant was set to open in Aberdeen.
Well slap me with a mozzarella stick and call me Monterey Jack, I think I just died and went to a cheese lovers heaven!
That’s right my little cheddar loving cherubs, Flippin’ Cheese is here, and you’re going to want to visit it immediately.
Having been given a heads up by a fellow cheese lover that this magnificent place was set to open, I immediately stalked all social channels and began the mental countdown to the Restaurant’s opening, drooling over the mouth-watering teaser pics being posted each day. I hadn’t been this excited since Cheese Fest first came to Aberdeen, and let me tell you, I was bouncing off the walls like a rogue Babybel for weeks in the run up to that.
Flippin’ Cheese seats an impressive 70 guests on the ideally located Summer street, slap bang in the middle of town, and came to life after seeing outstanding success while trialling their menu on Deliveroo for several months previous to the opening.
When they announced that they were taking bookings for their opening weekend, unsurprisingly I was one of the first in line to snap up one of those tables and find out if it had lived up to my hopes and dreams.
Upon arrival, I had half expected a much more, well…cheesy environment..you know, super kitsch decor, cheese themed wall art, servers in yellow t-shirts with cheese hats strapped to their heads, that kind of thing. I was however pleasantly surprised to be met with a classy and understated interior without a novelty hat in sight. Tables were beginning to fill and the welcome was warm and enthusiastic.
Our friendly server (who could not have been more apologetic or accomodating!) explained that a few menu items were unavailable which was slightly disappointing as the fondue option that I had set my heart on was one of these, as was the parm cheese wheel which fresh pasta is cooked in. There was a feeling of the opening having been fairly rushed, hence why a few items hadn’t arrived yet, but we certainly weren’t stuck for choices as the rest of the menu was still seriously impressive!
Not only were we spoiled for choice when it came to grilled cheeses, mac & cheeses and everything else in between, but we were also given a separate menu of the twenty three gourmet cheeses (including five vegan cheeses!) available to choose from to add to your dishes, this was not going to be an easy decision!
It was fab to see local suppliers such as Devenick Dairy who produce one of my faves, ‘Fet Like’ featuring on this list, amongst a host of other incredible sounding options from around the world. The only issue was that while vegan cheeses were highlighted in yellow, the rest weren’t labelled as being veggie friendly or otherwise so we had to check with our server before ordering, but after giving this feedback to Flippin’ Cheese they got right on the case to make this change right away, much appreciated guys!
On to the food…
After a considerable amount of deliberation and changing our minds about six times, we finally ordered enough food to feed a small army – the choice was just too tough to settle for just one menu item! We ordered sharers and mains at the same time to make sure that each dish was given equal time to fill our bellies.
As we waited for our food and witnessed the giant wheel of freshly grilled Raclette pass us by and watched a gooey layer of thick melted cheese be scooped straight from the cheese on to nearby diners plates of potatoes and veg, we instantly regretted our decision not to order this! Nonetheless, we were super excited for our own choices to arrive, and we didn’t have long to wait.
The beer battered cheese curds had been high on my list since seeing them on Instagram, so these were a dead cert along with the pizza fries from the sharers list.
Beer battered cheese curds
Pizza fries
The cheese curds looked crisp and delicious, served with three dips including a phenomenal hot sauce for dipping. Unfortunately I think they had been just slightly overcooked as all of the cheese had leaked out of a couple leaving just the crisp shell, but the flavour of the ones that did still contain the cheesy goodness was fab, total comfort food!
The pizza fries were everything we wanted them to be, smothered in rich tomato sauce with a thick layer of tasty melted cheddar, along with a host of other veggie pizza toppings, these were definitely a hit.
Flippin’ Mac Daddy Goes Forraging
From the mains menu we went for our usual tactic of ordering two things that we both like to share. The idea with both of the mac & cheese and grilled cheese menus is that you choose from a long and delicious sounding list of different toppings, then choose one or two of the gourmet cheeses to add to it.
We went for the Flippin’ Mac Daddy goes forraging – signature creamy mac and cheese with sautéed garlic and fresh herb mushrooms., with added smoked Deeside cheese. I can confirm that there’s a reason this dish is called the daddy; this was some SERIOUSLY good mac and cheese. Rich creamy sauce, oozing with tangy cheese and flavour packed garlicky mushrooms. What a bloody triumph of a dish!
Flippin’ Veg Med gourmet grilled cheese
Added to this ridiculously calorific lineup was the Flippin’ veg med grilled cheese with added Gruyere and Fire and Nice vegan cheese. Crisp sourdough with bell peppers, onions and garlic, olives and herb mushrooms. Not realising that the dish came with fries, I was blown away by the sheer size of the plate of food that had just been presented to me! The photo really doesn’t do this justice guys, this was packed with flavour and well seasoned veg, and the blend of cheeses which quickly became lovely and melty was insanely good. The only problem with this was not being able to finish the grand portion!
All washed down with a couple of cold beers, this had been a meal fit for any cheese obsessed queen, and I left fit to burst and ready to be rolled home like a big fat wheel of cheese rolling down a hill.
We can’t wait to visit again and try out the rest of what Flippin’ Cheese has to offer with their ever evolving menu. Cheese fondue, I’m coming for you! Next time I’ll be sure to leave room for the highly anticipated cheesecake on offer too…
Be sure to check out Flippin’ Cheese on Instagram here.
With even the high street struggling to be successful in today’s world of fast fashion and cheap internet sales, it’s becoming more and more important to support the little guys out there who are still working hard to bring us quality handmade products at affordable prices.
Britain is still full to the brim with amazing creatives, passionate about sharing their designs with the world, but it’s oh so easy for them to get lost amongst the sea of Primark wearing fast fashionistas, all wearing the same set of £1.99 earrings that are most on trend that week. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not over here trying to pretend that I don’t also go swimming in that sea on a regular basis; a girl on a tight budget’s gotta do what she has to now and then! But how refreshing and gratifying it is to be able to support some of the small brands who are out there working their arses off, as often as we can.
This week I’m showing a little love for Leicester based company, Resin & Rose.
About the brand…
Resin & Rose was started by the lovely Emily back in 2017. Emily is a former art and photography teacher who swapped secondary school teaching for family life after having two little ones, but missing the using her natural creativity, began dabbling in resin based jewellery, She is entirely self taught and can be found exhibiting at craft fares, and luckily for you, now sells her wares online too.
Emily creates gorgeous bespoke resin jewellery, filled with a wonderful array of glitters, foils, beads, and everything else a jewellery loving magpie such as myself could hope for! Her pieces are unique, eye-catching and so obviously made with love.
I was very kindly gifted these fabulous peach coloured, glitter filled pieces after expressing my love for them over on the Resin & Rose Instagram, so a huge thank you to Emily for that! As someone who is known for never leaving the house without a pair of statement earrings, and usually one accessory too many, these little beauties just stole my heart. Perfectly fitting in with Spring’s nude/pastel based palette, these gorgeous handcrafted pieces are the perfect way to add a little playfulness and sparkle to any outfit.
As mentioned, all Resin & Rose pieces are totally bespoke, so there really is something for everyone, but here are a few of the pieces taking the top spots on my mental shopping list…
What wonderful gifts any of Resin & Rose’s pretty pieces would make next time you want to buy someone something truly unique to show them you care, but if you ask me, the best kinds of gifts are the ones we buy for ourselves…
#STOPTREATINGYOURSELFBECCA
B x
[These products were gifted, but all views as always are my own.]
Lipstick & Late Nights 