Gloucestershire Archives - Katie Charlotte Blogs

An Unforgettable Dinner at Pundits in Cheltenham

In over six years of blogging, I’ve been lucky to attend many launch parties and reviewed a lot of local restaurants, but this event was one of the most memorable of them all.

I was kindly invited to the grand opening of Pundits, a new Indian restaurant to Cheltenham, with the expectation of dining with local journalists and bloggers. Instead, we were seated on a table with the Mayor of Cheltenham and his lovely wife, the owner of Pundits and Gordon Ramsay *ahem* – with a feast of delicious Asian cuisine.

Continue reading as I tell you more about this unforgettable dinner at Pundits Indian Restaurant in Cheltenham – and why you need to make a visit.

The Botanist comes to Cheltenham

Have you heard about the new bar in town? Located on the corner of the Brewery quarter in Cheltenham lies The Botanist, an award-winning bar and restaurant that is best known for it’s botanical cocktail creations and gorgeous almost jungle-esque interior.

The perfect spot for a date night or after work drinks with friends, let me tell you more…

The Cotswold Airport Revival Festival

Let’s escape back to the good old days for one weekend… The Cotswold Airport Revival Festival invites you to step back in time for a vintage and wartime extravaganza.

The revival may be over for this year but I hope this post will encourage you to mark your calendars for 2019 and come along to the next event…

Babel, Cheltenham

I can’t quite keep up with all the new bars and restaurants opening in Cheltenham at the moment. Not that I’m complaining, too much choice is better than no choice at all, right? So when I heard about Babel joining the line up, I jumped at the chance of an exclusive taster evening…

Revival of Queens Hotel Cheltenham

Situated on the edge of the Cotswolds, Cheltenham boasts a famous racecourse, a variety of festivals all year round, the Ladies College and one iconic figure. Please allow me to introduce the new and improved Grande Dame, the Queens Hotel.

The Ox, Cheltenham

There’s a new steakhouse in town, and judging by the canapes and cocktails I can tell you that Cheltenham are in for a real treat.

One Day in Broadway

Within the English county of Worcestershire lies the beautiful Cotswold town of Broadway. Bright lights and yellow cabs there is not, but what you will discover is much more picturesque.

Rococo Gardens, Painswick

It was a cloudy Sunday afternoon spent in the most gorgeous, greenest of gardens. I think I found my new happy place.

Rococo Garden in Painswick, Gloucestershire is the most picturesque place. I did a little research on local ‘escapes’ and came across this beauty of a location – the perfect escape to the countryside (not that you have to travel very far out of Cheltenham for beautiful views). Sunshine or not, the flowers were all in bloom and I found myself humming along to Laura Mvula’s Green Garden.

Probably not the best day to be wearing a skirt, I certainly felt the breeze between my knees, March winds in May were in full force!

It’s incredible that this is the only surviving Rococo garden in Britain, I have never seen a garden like it. The term Rococo translates to an ornate style of architecture, art and furniture, which was popular yet short-lived in the early to mid 18th century.

This is the first view you are hit with, the green valley.

We were about to embark on our stroll when the wind took a strong turn so we crept back to the Tea Room for shelter, coffee and cake were calling!

That was some of the best coffee cake I have ever eaten. I mean, it even rivals my own (my Cappuccino cake is a specialty of mine).

Bellies full, we took a wander along the first path that we came across, not knowing where we were going to end up or what we may come across…

The Red House, I’m not sure if it was because there was nobody else about or that the weather was a little overcast but the building had an eerie vibe to it. I have clearly seen too many horror films in my time and my imagination went into overdrive, so I stayed clear of entering the house and admired the architecture from outside instead.

Then out of nowhere, a visitor came to greet us.

Our new friend escorted us along the next path, stopping now and then as I took photographs, what a purrfect companion.

Coat | Oasis

Top | Vintage

Skirt | Miss Selfridge

Boots | H&M

Bag | Zara

The ‘Excedra’ is an impressive feature within the grounds, a structure that you must take a snap of before you leave…

A photo opportunity arose…

I had quite the audience during my silly shenanigans…

Shakespeare and Augustus Caesar to name just two watched on, as I frolicked around the garden. Parting is such sweet sorrow but it was time to continue my escapades elsewhere – the maze was just around the corner!

“There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.” – J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

I have had a fascination with mazes dating back to when I was just a small child. The excitement of entering the ‘unknown’, racing friends and family to get to the middle first, pretending that I’m in the Labyrinth and I’m en route to the Goblin Kingdom…

No? Just me who does that? Okay, let’s move on..

You can quite easily find yourself getting lost here within the six-acre valley garden, with the wondrous woodland paths surrounded by wild flowers.

As one path ended, we turned back round to find the next one to explore. Passing our friends Bill and Augustus, more beautiful flowers caught our attention.

Hay! Who is this guy?

His jokes were a bit corny but he impressed me with how outstanding he was in his field.

It’s difficult not to fall in love with this place, it’s a fantastic backdrop for whatever occasion – you can even get married here!

The sun came out just as we decided to call it a day (which the camera didn’t capture).

I’m already planning my next trip – perhaps when the sun comes out to play and I’ll be sure to wear more sensible attire for walking adventures.

Check out the website for full details on admission and events coming up!

The Vine, Thai Food in Cheltenham

Last week one of my girlfriends suggested going to The Vine for dinner, somewhere I had never been before in Cheltenham but had heard plenty of great reviews about.

The restaurant has a pub vibe which gives it a very laid back and relaxed environment. It was around 6.30pm and it was already starting to get busy so I would definitely advise booking a table in advance. We happened to grab a table on a whim towards the back of the room so it was slightly quieter. We sat down and perused the menu, Sidonie had been before so I asked her to recommend dishes (she knows I’m a wimp when it comes to heat and spice). There was a 2 courses for £7.50 special offer so we decided on doing that and ordered a couple of extra starters to share too. You have to make your order at the bar so if you prefer table service, this probably isn’t the restaurant for you.

Wine and spicy prawn crackers set the evening off to a good start.

We had a giggle and a gossip whilst we waited on our starters, but we didn’t have to wait long which I was impressed with. We had ordered the vegetable spring rolls and prawn toast as part of the specials deal, as well as the Thai pork dumplings. Served with a small salad, each dish was delicious and the flavours tasted ‘authentic’ – something that is promised in the menu. The dim sum were my particular favourite, but I have my eye on trying the Thai fishcakes next time!

Onto the next course!

The menu boasts a huge variety of dishes to choose from so it took some time trying to decide. I have wanted to try the Pad Thai with chicken for a long time and I’m always tempted by it when I see it on the menus in other restaurants. Sid chose the Thai green curry, which she requested to be ‘mild’ as opposed to hot that it was labelled as. Unfortunately the chef didn’t get the memo and it came out packed with a lot of heat! Luckily the portions are large and I shared some of my meal with Sid – one of the perks of ordering food you both enjoy.

We both have a sweet tooth so had to order a pudding each, naughty but nice! I chose the chocolate fudge cake and Sidonie chose Glouy tod, Banana fritters in coconut and sesame seed batter, drizzled with honey served with vanilla ice cream – yum!

Here are Sid’s thoughts on The Vine...

I always enjoy going to The Vine – I like the atmosphere, music, candles etc. It’s good for meals with the boyfriend or an evening with friends. I usually get the Thai fish cakes because they are light and delicious, but the Dim Sum was lovely! They could hold on the red chilli in the Thai green curry but apart from that it’s an affordable restaurant for everyone.

As it’s Valentine’s Day coming up, I would recommend it for a first date as it’s not too formal and the lighting, service and music is perfect!

The whole experience overall was good, and I would highly recommend it to others. I’m looking forward to visiting again soon to taste more of the menu, there is something for everyone! You can check out The Vine’s restaurant and menu here – let me know if you take a visit!

Bill’s restaurant, Cheltenham

Bill’s has opened in Cheltenham, finally.

I’ve been a massive fan of the UK chain ever since sampling their delicious fish finger sandwich last year in the Bristol branch, so you can probably understand why I got excited when I heard through the grapevine that they were opening one in my home town!

Myself and Sid donned the latest accessory (a Bill’s freebie before entering the restaurant) before heading in to taste the food delights.

We had booked a table as it was still the first week of opening, and within seconds of walking in we were taken to our seats.

Whilst we were awaiting our food and drinks we noticed there was a real buzz and energy in the room, and the interior is particularly Pinterest worthy . The décor of the restaurant is rustic with a shabby chic style, yet still very modern. I love the large lamp shades and the wine storage cupboard especially.

Our drinks soon arrived – we both sipped on my favourite Amaretto Sours to start the evening off.

Then our food arrived!

We shared two starters – a plate of crispy lemon squid, with a gorgeous garlic and lemon mayo sauce to dip, and grilled halloumi and cous cous salad. I wasn’t sure I would enjoy the latter at first, but the flavours of the cheese with lemon, pomegranate, mint and parsley together worked really well.

As it had been an unhealthy day of eating I chose the avocado, bacon and spinach salad which was delicious! I have recently been enjoying swapping lettuce with spinach as a healthier alternative, dare I say that I prefer the swap? The presentation of the dish was also impressive, making a salad look instantly more interesting.

Sid chose the grilled sea bream which looked amazing, and from a cheeky forkful, also tasted pretty good.

We ended the evening with cappuccinos instead of pudding, despite the desserts sounding too good to pass up.

The menu is full of variety and I plan on trying everything at some point – especially as I’ve heard that they are most famous for their breakfast/brunch menu…

If you haven’t been to Bill’s yet, what are you waiting for? Click here to head to the website and find your nearest restaurant.

P.s. I have since discovered that the pink shower cap is actually designed for bicycle seats, oops!