Sale e Pepe’s iconic Italian recipes

Liz Nicholls

Hampshire

With neighbourhood trattoria Sale e Pepe recently being given a complete refurb ahead of its 50th anniversary next year, we’re saving up a taste of la dolce vita for those seeking a fresh at-home recipes to keep those summer vibes going!

The Knightsbridge staple invites lovers of traditional Italian food to take their hand at their classic dishes. Ideal for hosting across the summer period, the illustrious restaurant has always attracted a jet-setting crowd, loved by the likes of Rod Stewart, Sir Roger Moore, Priscilla Presley and Ringo Starr.

Sale E Pepe prides itself in serving the very produce, try your hand at their infamous Costaletta di Vileto Milanaisepan-fried veal chop with breadcrumbs which is signature to the Lombardy region or the Camparian Linguine all’ AragostaLinguine with lobster, cherry tomatoes, basil and garlic. Opt for a more light dish of Insalata di Granchio – crab and avocado salad with tomato concassé, spring onions, chives and lemon dressing, bringing the Italian summer to the table.

Costaletta di Vileto Milanaise

Ingredients:
• 500g one bone in veal cutlets about 3/4 thick, trimmed or you can ask the butcher to make flattened for you than will be easier to prepare at home,
Three eggs
• 100gm breadcrumbs granules
• 80 gm all-purpose flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 240g clarified butter (recipe is mentioned below)
• One lemon, quartered

Method:
1. Make two or three cuts on the edges of cutlet to keep them from curling up as they cook
2. Heat the clarified butter over medium high heat. The secret to cooking the meat is to cook it quickly at a very high temperature to seal the outside and create a crunchy breading while keeping the inside moist and juicy.
3. Whisk the eggs and place them in a shallow pan
4. Place each first into the flour, then the eggs bath and then finally the breadcrumbs as you go to ensure that they don’t fall off
5. Fry the cutlet for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, then remove to a plate lined with paper towels and allow the extra butter to drain off
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then place on a baking sheet

Linguine all’ Aragosta

Ingredients:
• 600g Canadian lobster
80g linguine pasta
• 120g red cherry tomato
• 5g fresh basil leaves
• 18g garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 45ml white wine
• 28ml extra virgin olive oil
• 5g mix micro herbs (optional)

Method:
1. Cover the bottom of a large frying pan with olive oil, chopped garlic, basil leaves and fry your cherry tomatoes together. Add stock, black pepper and fry for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally
2. Add the lobster tail and chunks and fry for 1 minute
3. Add the dry white wine and make sure to cook all the alcohol out and reduce until the sauce has thickened slightly
4. Cook your linguine or spaghetti in a LARGE pot of rapidly boiling salted water. Stir the pasta regularly and cook until al dente almost 5 to 6 minutes and using your spaghetti spoon lift, the cooked pasta out of the pot, allow the water to drain off and add it spoonful by spoonful straight into the pan of lobster pasta sauce
5. Toss well and serve garnished with the micro herbs

(Insalata di Granchio) crab & avocado salad

Ingredients:
• 45g diced tomatoes
• 85g freshly handpicked crab meat
• One ripe avocado
• 30ml fresh lime juice
• 55ml extra virgin oil
• 5g chipped chives
• 5g spring onion
• 1 gram or pinch of chilli powder
• Sea salt & pepper as per taste

Method:
1. First in a small bowl mix together avocado cubes, lime juice, diced tomato, chives, olive oil, salt & pepper, mix well and set aside.
2. Then repeat the same process and add crab meat, lime juice, diced tomato, chilli powder, chopped chives, spring onion, olive oil, salt & pepper, mix well and set aside.
3. Take a flat base plate, place the round shape ring in a centre and add avocado layer and add crab mixture for second layer up, garnish with olive oil & chopped chives.


Theatre: The Making of Mary Shelley

Round & About

Hampshire

Jonathan Lovett tells us about a fascinating new play about Mary Shelley landing at Norden Farm in Maidenhead on Thursday, 12th October, as part of a UK tour

Conception: Mary Shelley – the Making of a Monster celebrates the incredible life of Mary Shelley on the 200th anniversary of the first edition of Frankenstein to bear her name.

This latest production by feminist theatre company CLAIR/OSCUR focuses on the return of Mary to Lake Geneva, the birthplace of her most famous novel. Haunted by the ghosts of her husband, Percy Shelley, Lord Byron and others from that infamous ‘year without a summer’ she embarks on a voyage of self-discovery resulting in a brutal confrontation with the very creation that made her name.

Unlike Frankenstein the life of Mary Shelley is not so well known… and yet it reads like the plot of one of her tragic, Gothic novels. Suffering three infant deaths and one miscarriage that almost killed her she then lost the love of her life, Percy, drowned in a yachting accident, in her early 20s.

Deserted by friends and with little money or means to support her one surviving son, she was known as the widow of Percy and some even questioned whether he was the author of Frankenstein. And yet, in the face of a misogynistic, critical society, this single mother went on to write a further eight novels, more than 50 short stories and essays and even, in a typically selfless act, brought together her husband’s writings in a complete works edition that made Percy’s name.

The play’s writer and star Deborah Clair says: “In Mary Shelley’s day society dictated the need for women to be wives. If not, the other paths were decidedly perilous: spinster, divorced, widow, harlot… corpse,” said “Mary was completely off-grid with her choices – elopement, travel, children out of wedlock, a thinker and writer. Her life straddled two eras – Romantic and Victorian – and the latter really didn’t know what to do with her!”

As well as playing the role of Mary, Deborah is director of CLAIR/OBSCUR, a female led-theatre company dedicated to placing inspiring women of the past centre-stage. Conception is directed by Lucy Speed who starred in EastEnders and The Bill and is currently playing Stella in The Archers.

Conception is being performed at the Norden Farm Centre for the Arts in Maidenhead on Thursday, 12th October at 8pm as part of a national tour. For ticket details visit Conception: Mary Shelley – The Making of a Monster : Norden Farm Centre for the Arts.

Cube comedy and quiz nights

Karen Neville

Hampshire

Kate Lucas, Louise Atkinson and Howard Read are on the bill for comedy at the Cube at The Shed in Bordon in October

The Shed has a truly top selection lined up throughout October with the return of the Cube Comedy Club as well as quiz nights and markets.

The venue offers the perfect backdrop for evenings of belly laughs and fantastic community events.

The Cube Comedy 5th October at 8:00pm

This month’s comedy delights include Kate Lucas, Louise Atkinson and Howard Read.

Kate Lucas is an award-winning musical comedian and is known for her razor sharp and deliciously dark songs.

Louise Atkinson has quickly established herself on the comedy scene as one of the ones to watch for the future, and is said to have a strong flavour of Victoria Wood!

Howard Read is a comic, writer, animator and actor, in that order. He is best known for being one half (and the other half), of the Big Howard, Little Howard, the world’s first human cartoon double-act.

Tickets are £13.50 and can be bought on The Shed website.

Quiz nights at The Shed

On October 5th and 17th The Shed’s popular bar will be running quiz nights to test your brains every other Tuesday.

The Tap at The Shed’s quiz nights are only £1 entry per person with teams up to six. Winner takes the pot and there’s a chance to win a £25 bar voucher! Always a fun night out, just message Tap @ The Shed via their social media to book – Facebook.

Throughout October there are also the popular Saturday Markets on 14th and 28th, as well as a Halloween themed craft session with Daisy’s Craft room to try with the little ones, and of course top films at the Ticket Cinema.

You can find the full line-up of all upcoming Saturday Night at The Shed acts on the events page – Upcoming Events at The Shed.

Keeping adoptive siblings in care together

Round & About

Hampshire

Adoption agencies across the UK, including Parents And Children Together (PACT) have joined forces to keep brothers and sisters together.

Voluntary adoption agencies across the UK have come together with a joint mission to stop brothers and sisters who are waiting in care from being separated when adopted.

Almost half of children currently waiting in care* are part of a family group and voluntary adoption agencies (VAAs) are looking for people who can offer them a permanent and loving home.

Thames Valley-based Parents And Children Together (PACT) is among 23 VAAs from all over the UK who have together created a guide for people considering adoption containing helpful information and advice from parents who have already adopted sibling groups.

Lorna Hunt of PACT said: “The impact on children in care who are separated their brothers and sisters to enable them to find a permanent family is huge and causes anxiety and loss for children who have already experienced a difficult start in life. Yet so few people feel equipped or able to consider adopting a sibling group of three, or even four children.

“We are excited to be a part of this project sharing first-hand, heartfelt experience and advice from families who have already done this incredible thing of adopting a sibling pair or group.”

VAAs are specialists in finding families for children who wait the longest in care. They work in partnership with local authorities to find families for children waiting for a permanent home. VAAs are independent, not-for-profit organisations who have intensive services to provide families with vital support both when the children are placed and into the future.

Maggie Jones, chief executive of the Consortium of Voluntary Adoption Agencies (CVAA) which represents VAAs across the country said: “Brother and sisters who are adopted together are often the only constant thing in each other’s lives in times of huge upheaval, loss and trauma. The voluntary adoption sector are specialists in finding families for sibling groups and being there for them with bespoke packages of support for as long as its needed.”

“Brother and sisters who are adopted together are often the only constant thing in each other’s lives in times of huge upheaval, loss and trauma!”

Greyhound team are AA gold winners

Liz Nicholls

Hampshire

Congratulations to the team at The Greyhound Inn in Letcombe Regis who have earned two rosettes and a four-star gold award plus a breakfast award in the latest AA Hospitality Awards.

Catriona Galbraith and the rest of the trusty Greyhound team know how it feels to be on the receiving end of warm praise, having won the loyalty of locals and visitors as well as a galaxy of awards including CAMRA pub of the year.

But an extra serving of praise goes to them all today, including Head Chef Martyn Sherriff and Sous Chef Attila Fulop, for winning two rosettes and a four-star gold award after a visit from discerning AA inspectors.

Catriona tells us: “Since opening almost eight years ago, The Greyhound Inn has strived to offer our guests a dining experience that will make them want to return again and again. Without being pretentious or formal, we look after our guests in a friendly and efficient way and serve food that we are extremely proud of. Receiving this award from the AA of two rosettes, on top of an entry in the Good Food Guide earlier this year, demonstrates our team’s commitment to creating a memorable experience for our guests which, to us, is the point of having a hospitality business.”

“Without being pretentious or formal, we look after our guests in a friendly and efficient way”

We enjoyed a taste of this award-winning hospitality at the weekend and will serve you a review in our next edition of Round & About, plus details about Christmas and NYE parties.

Meanwhile, book in to enjoy the six-course Autumn Tasting Menu on Thursday, 19th October with a wine flight of specially paired wines. For more details visit The Greyhound Inn or call 01235 771969.

The Garden Show at Broadlands

Karen Neville

Hampshire

The Garden Show is set to bloom again this weekend, September 29th to October 1st, with the chance to admire the trees in all their autumn glory

The Garden Show is set to bloom again this autumn and we are delighted to be back at Broadlands and admire the wondrous trees in the park as they start to acquire their autumn glory.

Although there will be fewer plants than in the spring and summer shows, it is the perfect time for planting trees, shrubs, bulbs, winter flowering plants, giving them a chance to develop good root structure, as well as an array of indoor plants to enhance the winter home.

It’s a great opportunity to source new talent, designers and artisans and browse over 160 stands showcasing the latest specialist plants, garden and home accessories, art, design, sculpture, fashion, toys and a multitude of lovely goodies with tempting foods and wines in the Country Food marquee. There is something at the show that will appeal to everyone! It’s a good opportunity to do some early Christmas shopping and support the smaller businesses with a unique range of wares not found on the high street.

Apart from the extensive selection of retail companies at the show there are many other attractions. Expert garden advice from Paul Slater, the new Gardening Doctor and also from the knowledge growers at the show, helping gardens thrive.

On Friday Dr Ian Bedford, entomologist, will be running the ‘Pest Clinic’ and can identify any bug samples, brought along and how to rid your garden of them in as friendly a way as possible and he will be ready to discuss ‘Britain’s Nature Recovery Plan’.

Also on Friday we are delighted that Tayshan Hayden-Smith will be running a Gardening Q&A session ‘Empowering young people into horticulture’ and on Saturday Paul Slater will be also holding Q&A session ‘Plant Selection’ helping gardens thrive. Then the show welcomes back Ben Cross from Crosslands Nursery, who on Sunday will be extolling the ‘British Cut Flower Industry’ … ‘British Flowers Rock’!

It’s not all about gardening: there are plenty of activities on site to keep all the family occupied including The Giant Tombola, a chance to win amazing prizes donated by The Garden Show exhibitors in support of the show’s chosen charity Jane Scarth House Cancer Support Charity. Fun times to be had for the children with entertainer Crazee Hazee, learning circus skills and watching his hilarious Punch and Judy shows! Plus, Carousel amusements with toddler fun fair rides and bouncy castles.

There will be ongoing artisan demonstrations and a chance to have a go at a blacksmithing workshop plus musical entertainment from The Jazz Trio, who will be wandering around delighting all with their evocative music of times past… all this and so much more to enjoy including Huxley Birds of Prey who will thrill spectators as they soar to the skies.

Tickets on the gate: adults £10, concs £8, child £4, family (2+2) £26.

Prebook online for 15% discount BUY TICKETS – The Garden Show at Broadlands.

Cultural Travels from Home: online adventures!

Liz Nicholls

Hampshire

After venturing online during lockdown, Cultural Travels from Home are still flying high and taking happy travellers to far-off destinations virtually with a highlight on 28th September, thanks to art historian Siân Walters

Art tour and event company, Art History in Focus has been much loved by Surrey residents for over 20 years who have regularly followed its impressive programme of local courses and overseas tours around the world. The focus of the company changed however during the Covid pandemic when its director, art historian Siân Walters devised pioneering approach to cultural travel, bringing galleries’ art collections to people at home. At a period when all museums were closed and when people were unable to travel, she worked with directors of many major European art galleries and cultural sites, enabling people to enjoy exclusive, live access to their collections.

Museums at your fingertips

The programme, entitled Cultural Travels from Home, has gone from strength to strength. Led by expert guides and art historians, each tour is live and interactive, with an opportunity to ask questions and spend time savouring details of artworks which cannot be seen with the naked eye, thanks to the high-resolution technology used during the visits. The programme has become particularly popular with art followers who now find it difficult to travel or who are challenged physically, meaning that in-person visits are not so easy. There’s also a sense of friendship and camaraderie: as one regular puts: “I feel as if I have a new ‘art family’!”

Private exhibition visits

Another innovative feature is the exhibition tour programme, enabling viewers to enjoy a private online tour of a major art exhibition, from anywhere in the world. This October, viewers will enjoy an exclusive tour broadcast from a Titian exhibition at the Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice, led by its curator. Later in the year there will be a broadcast from the Belvedere in Vienna with a special focus on Gustav Klimt, and a tour of an important upcoming exhibition dedicated to the enduring popular artist Rosalba Carriera and her career as a miniaturist.

Cultural Travels from Home

Since its creation, Art History in Focus has devised and presented the world’s first livestream tours of the Basilica of San Marco in Venice, the Medici Palace in Florence, the Brera Art Gallery in Milan, the Palazzo Colonna and Galleria Doria Pamphilj in Rome and very many more.

There are also regular walking tours throughout Europe from Lisbon, Ljubljana and Amsterdam to Madrid, Bruges and Barcelona. The special expertise of the Art History in Focus guides often lends a unique touch to the experiences – for example, participants recently attended an unforgettable twilight tour of Pompeii in the company of a well-known local archaeologist, who showed them some of the site’s most recent excavations.  

Another highlight was a tour from Kyiv in which viewers were able to learn about the history of Ukraine and celebrate its beauty and cultural heritage. One happy traveller commented: “Thank you so much for another beautifully presented course… Travel and galleries and museums are difficult for me, so I very much appreciate particularly the live visits.”

Worldwide following

Siân, who alongside running Art History in Focus lectures for the National Gallery in London – and for many years lectured at the University of Surrey – says: “It has been heart-warming to receive such wonderful feedback from our visitors and students as well as the participating museums, and I’m so glad to be continuing with these programmes which are enabling us all to enjoy art and culture in new and varied ways. Our followers now join us from all over the world and it’s such a pleasure to welcome them each week.”

Coming soon

Amongst the events scheduled for the coming months are a live virtual guided tour of Titan 1508 at the Gallerie dell’ Accademia in Venice and Rosalba Carriera: Miniatures on Ivory at the Ca’ Rezzonico, commemorating the 350th year anniversary of the artist’s birth in 1673. These visits form part of an online course entitled “Europe’s Great Galleries”, starting on 29th September and exploring a different museum each week. 

For further information, please visit Cultural Travels from Home: The Frari Basilica in Venice – Art History in Focus

Q&A with Fiona Allen on tour

Liz Nicholls

Hampshire

We chat to comedian & Smack The Pony star Fiona Allen who is on tour with her debut stand-up show On The Run, including stops at Guildford’s Electric Theatre on 28th September, plus Swindon, London & Maidenhead

Q. Hi Fiona. Seeing as your show is called On The Run, can you tell us about your impulse to get away from your hometown?

“I think I get my wanderlust from my mum and dad. My mum grew up in the time of Franco and left Spain as a young woman. She couldn’t speak English and was an au pair, then she became a nurse in the north of England where she met my dad (a psychiatric nurse). He then went on to work in Saudi Arabia when I was eight (interesting school holidays in Saudi…). Then the family home moved back to Spain, then back to the UK, so basically itchy feet are hardwired into me. I think I’m genetically predisposed to look at the horizon and think I wonder what’s over the hill. I was like that as a chid, and I simply haven’t changed.”

Q. How did you meet your husband & how has the whirlwind of family life affected ‘romance’?

“He was a location manager on the first series of Smack The Pony. We kept glancing at each other but trying to look like we weren’t. Then the director, who was getting slightly irritated, said ‘for God’s sake, talk to each other and go on a date’. One day I slipped filming a scene and missed the crash mat as it was the wrong way round. I banged my head, and he took me back to the base. It was then, when I was dazed, confused and slightly concussed that he asked me out for a drink! I could be flippant about the romance question, but I won’t be as one thing I really believe is that marriage is sometimes how you navigate the tough times together. Flowers, kind thoughts and actions are lovely, but nothing is more romantic than knowing that every day, no matter what, someone has always got your back. However he doesn’t tidy up and drives me bonkers.”

Q. What about meeting your father-in-law, Michael Parkingson?

“He was just a normal (very) Northern bloke who happened to be famous. Good to chat to as a journo and cut through stuff. He can ask a question. I can so answer it.”

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Adam Smith’s Peppered Venison dish recipe

Liz Nicholls

Hampshire

Adam Smith, executive chef at Coworth Park in Ascot, shares his recipe for a seasonal game salad

This is a great dish showcasing some of my favourite autumnal ingredients. It’s simple to prepare in advance and although relatively light eating it’s also warm and comforting with the rich sticky figs and beautifully spiced vension.

Peppered venison salad, serves six

Ingredients

• 1kg venison loin
• 1tbsp black peppercorns
• 2tbsp pink peppercorns
• 1 star anise
• 1tbsp juniper berries
• 6 fresh figs
• 250g roast pecan nuts
• Selection of bitter leafs (red and white chicory, radicchio, frisse, Castro Franco)
• 120ml walnut oil
• 100ml rape seed oil
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 100ml cabernet Savion vinegar
• 200ml red wine
• 200ml ruby port
• 200g soft brown sugar
• 50g fresh ginger
• 2 star anise
• 6 cardamom pods
• 2 cloves
• 6 juniper berries

Peppered venison loin

• 1kg venison loin
• 1tbsp black peppercorns
• 2 tbsp pink peppercorns
• 1 star anise
• 1tbsp juniper berries
• 1tbsp Dijon mustard

Method

1. Roast all the spices in a dry pan, then into a pestle and mortar and crush them to a coarse powder
2. Season the venison loin with salt and sear in a hot pan, remove from the pan brush all over with the Dijon mustard and roll into the crushed spices
3. Cook in the oven at 180C until a core temperature of 48C is achieved
4. Remove from the oven and allow to rest at room temperature

Dressing

• 120ml walnut oil
• 100ml rape seed oil
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 100ml cabernet Savion vinegar

1. Whisk the Dijon mustard and the vinegar together in a round bottomed bowl
2. Combine the two oils and slowly add to the bowl ensuring to continually whisk to emulsify the dressing
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste

Port roast figs

• 6 fresh figs
• 200ml red wine
• 200ml ruby port
• 200g soft brown sugar
• 50g fresh ginger
• 2 star anise
• 6 cardamom pods
• 2 cloves
• 6 juniper berries

Method

1. Thickly slice the ginger and crack the cardamom pods and place into a pan with the cloves, star anise, soft brown sugar, red wine and port
2. Bring to the boil and reduce to a syrup
3. Pass through a fine sieve
4. Score the figs and drizzle in the syrup
5. Place into an oven at 180C and cook for around 4-5min
6. The timing will differ depending on the ripeness of your figs, you want the soft and sticky but still able to hold their shape

To serve

• Pick down and wash all of the bitter leaves in ice cold water, if you have a salad spinner, spin then dry
• Place the washed salad with ½ of the pecan nuts into a large salad bowl and dress generously with your walnut oil dressing
• Arrange these into your serving bowl
• Slice your peppered venison about 5mm thick then place on the top with the roast glazed figs
• Add the other ½ of the pecan nuts on top and add a little extra dressing if desired

Full of beans

Karen Neville

Hampshire

Remember when the only choice for a coffee was white or black? Times have changed and ordering a coffee is now akin to reciting War and Peace. However you like your caffeine shot (or not) support National Coffee Week this month

Cappuccino, latte, flat, white, Americano, affogato – however you like yours, as a nation, we in Britain drink around a whopping 95 million cups of coffee a day!

So, the only way to mark National Coffee Week, October 16th to 22nd, is by raising a cup in whichever style you prefer. The week is the biggest celebration of coffee, raising funds for Project Waterfall which brings clean drinking water to coffee growing communities.

Since 2011, the UK Coffee Week community has raised more than £800,00 for Project Waterfall, reaching over 45,000 people with clean drinking water, sanitation and education.

Funds raised during the 2023 campaign will support Project Waterfall’s latest project in the Berbere district of Ethiopia. The country is considered the biological and cultural home of coffee but 82% of households in the Berbere area use water from unprotected sources.

Working in partnership with the local government as well as WaterAid, Project Waterfall will build a solar powered multi-village gravity-flow water system, that will provide water to 40,000 people. The new infrastructure will be climate resistant and accessible to everyone in the area.

How can you get involved and do your bit to help? Hospitality businesses of all shapes and sizes fundraise by donating from every cup or bag of coffee sold, or by running events and competitions.

Whether you serve, sell, sip or roast the much-loved bean – which is actually a fruit – you can take part in UK Coffee Week and support coffee-growing communities. Among the vendors locally taking part are Fieldhouse Coffee, Rose Brae, Woodlands, Windlesham and COLCO Coffee, Unit 3, Manor Farm, Common Road, Eton Wick, Windsor. Explore their selection of hand roasted coffee from around the world including Colombian Speciality Coffee, Single Origin Coffees and Premium House Blends. A percentage of their coffee proceeds goes to support great causes, why not grab a bag today?

Also participating is Art Cafe, Bonn Square, Oxford where, as the name suggests you can appreciate some work from local artists as you enjoy your cuppa.

There are more coffee shops than you can shake a bean at so why not try one of these which serve up a little something extra?

In picturesque Ripley, you’ll find Nest Home & Café, part café, part home / gift shop with a reputation for excellent service, world-class coffee and eclectic shopping. All food and drink is served in recyclable trays, cutting down on waste too. You’re also welcome to take along your own favourite cup or mug and enjoy a discount on your coffee.

Here’s a coffee shop with a difference, the Terrace Lounge Coffee Shop at Harry Edwards Healing Sanctuary in Shere boasts stunning views over the Surrey Hills. Recently opened, could there be a better way to enjoy some ‘me time’ in stunning surroundings and while you’re there why not combine it with some healing?

Described as a ‘curious coffee shop and gift shop’, Hemingways in Haslemere has found a special place in the hearts of locals with its ‘marvellous mix of old and new, classy and comfortable, lively and relaxing with a wonderfully eclectic decor and range of gifts and homeware that combine to make a special and favourite place for all those who visit’. It is also heavily involved in the community, supporting many local charities and organisations.

Cappuccino with a cavapoo? No problem at Cantine in Fleet. The dog-friendly café offers a warm welcome to our furry friends as well as their owners with a delicious range of sweet treats and a recently launched full English breakfast to tuck into too. Take your pooch along and they can tuck – or lick – into dog ice cream and the popular Puppicino treat too. There’s local art on the walls and regular quiz nights too to test your little grey cells.

Never has the saying from little acorns been more apt for Acorns Coffee Roastery which operates from The Shed in Bordon. From the early days as a mobile coffee shop in a converted horsebox, the team and passion for coffee grew with the addition of Head Roaster Matt whose knowledge means you can now enjoy Acorns small batch roasted coffee anywhere in the country.

At Coffee Under Pressure, the two baristi who created it believe that great coffee is an affordable luxury, but also an everyday need which is why, when visiting the shop in St Mary’s Butts, Reading you will find passionate and knowledgeable baristi with attention to detail and persistence for the best brew every time. Chat to them about how to explore new flavours and brewing methods and ask every detail you wish to know about their coffees or teas.

All things gluten-free are celebrated at YayLo in Cross Street, in Reading town centre. You may recognise the only gluten-free coffee shop in town, it was previously the award-winning Nibsy’s. Now under a new name and new ownership, it is proud to be gluten-free and serving up ‘awesome-licious gluten-free’ pastries, donoughts and cakes alongside its equally delicious coffee.

Robyn’s Nest at Moss End Cafe, Warfield, isn’t just offering great tasting coffee and cakes, during the pandemic they provided cake boxes for the NHS and keyworkers and now offers business networking events as well as a play area so you can enjoy your coffee – while it’s hot – while your little ones play.

The Collective in Church Road, Caversham, is a speciality coffee shop, licensed cafe, lifestyle store and grocer with community at its core. It has won awards for bringing together a love of incredible coffee, great quality food, design and living well into one destination.

If it’s all about the coffee for you Spoon in Duke Street, Henley, proudly serves Extract Coffee. Ethically sourced, kind to farmers and utterly delicious. Often dubbed ‘the best coffee in Henley’, they sell pre-ground Original Espresso in-store so you can take Extract’s heavenly blend home with you to sip at your leisure.

The Pantry in Thatcham has its own specially blended coffee from their partner coffee supplier Kingdom Coffee. The Pantry Blend is a full bodied, smooth coffee with a creamy mouth feel and notes of berry fruits, chocolate and molasses. Sounds delicious and each and every cup is expertly crafted for you by the trained staff making it stand out in so many ways.

A former Wesleyan chapel is the location for Community Hub cafe at City Arts.The barista coffee machine and home made cakes sit alongside the current art exhibition. Cakes are baked by local bakers and can be enjoyed with great barista coffee and a selection of high quality teas. Browse and buy the unique cards on sale from local artists too.

Elaine’s in The Courtyard, Hungerford and Hughendon Yard, Marlborough believe everyone should be able to eat out knowing they are able to choose food that is right for them and is delicious and nutritious, no matter what diet they are committed to. Alongside wholesome fare, you can enjoy your coffee in a relaxed and welcoming setting.

The award-winning Hampstead Norreys Community Shop is a true gem on a mission to serve its community in every way. Stocking essential and speciality groceries, it champions sustainable and locally made products not least in its cafe where you’ll feast on delicious home-made food, barista coffee and other beverages.

If it’s location you’re after while you sip on your coffee, then head to The Tea Shop by the canal at Newbury, this can be found in a unique grade II listed building on the Kennet and Avon waterway.

Coffee for a cause is the idea dreamed up by James at Coffi Lab opposite the Town Hall in Marlborough. The venture combines his love of Labradors, creating a coffee brand and making a difference. The cafes, of which there are eight, are not a dog café as such, but open venues; a focal point of leafy neighbourhoods where family and friends come together without having to leave their canine companions at home. As it says on the website, Coffi Lab is ‘driven by a desire to do good’ and to that end they have so far raised in excess of £60,000 for Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Cappuccino with a cavapoo? The Dog’s Spot in Abingdon is a unique place for dogs and their owners. A place to meet, socialise, enjoy good coffee and cakes, in a relaxed dog-centred space with its own doggy menu. In the shop they offer a range of high-quality food, treats and accessories, as well as being home to grooming spa.

Oxford’s Grand Cafe can stake a unique claim to fame – it is housed in the spot where the very first coffee shop in England was founded in 1650. According to a number of sources, including Samuel Pepys, an entrepreneur named Jacob established the first English coffee house in High Street almost 400 years ago. There’s a challenger for this accolade with Queen’s Lane Coffee House, established in 1654, saying it is ‘the longest established coffee house in Europe’. The difference? Queen’s Lane has always been a coffee shop whereas the Grand Cafe has actually been a variety of businesses over the years. Both have great historical value and serve an exceptional cup of coffee and more!

Society Café is an independent speciality coffee shop in the heart of Oxford city centre. Their focus is on making great coffee sourced directly from the best coffee producing farms in the world and roasted by the best roasters in the world. Try a cup and see.

Location, location, location – one of the best is surely that occupied by The Waterfront Cafe at Benson. Relax with your brew on the vast decking as you watch the boats gliding up and down the river. The perfect spot to watch the world go by. The decking and covered outside areas are also dog friendly.

Head to the Vale and Download Museum in Wantage for coffee and a little history or for some rustic charm how about Cogges Kitchen in the old milking parlour at Cogges Manor Farm in Witney. Tuck in to tasty cake with a good cup of locally roasted coffee.

And if you like your coffee among plants then head to Root One Garden Centre in Brightwell-cum-Sotwell where you can enjoy some delicious sweet treats too.