We're back! With lockdown loosening up and the city coming back to life, our new issue is packed with ideas on what to do and where to go, from outdoor cinema events to virtual festivals and amazing alfresco dining experiences. We've also got news on the latest crop of new eateries to arrive in the city, plus tasty recipes from Fitzbillies, a round-up of great days out in the great outdoors and lots more.
YOU R MON T H L Y F I X OF
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GREAT DAYS OUT IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS, CAMBRIDGE’S BEST ALFRESCO EATING SPOTS, NEW OPENINGS, AT-HOME DINING DISCOVERIES & LOTS MORE!
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EDITORIAL Editor in chief Nicola Foley 01223 499459 nicolafoley@bright-publishing.com Editorial assistant Frances McNaughton 01223 499469 francesmcnaughton@bright-publishing.com Chief sub editor Beth Fletcher Senior sub editor Siobhan Godwood Sub editors Elisha Young & Felicity Evans ADVERTISING Group ad manager Sam Scott-Smith 01223 499457 samscott-smith@bright-publishing.com Sales executive Lucy McNally 01223 492248 lucymcnally@bright-publishing.com CONTRIBUTORS Daisy Dickinson, Chelsea Fearnley, Charlotte Griffiths, Alex Rushmer, Anna Taylor DESIGN & PRODUCTION Designers Emily Lancaster & Lucy Woolcomb Ad production Man-Wai Wong manwaiwong@bright-publishing.com MANAGING DIRECTORS Andy Brogden & Matt Pluck
fter Cambridge Edition ’s three issue- long hiatus, I can honestly say that I’ve never been happier to sit down and write my editor’s letter! The past few months have given us all much to think about and plenty of time to reflect on what’s important to us, whether that’s our appreciation for family and friends
– thrown into sharp relief when a hug and a chat was abruptly replaced by a jittery Zoom call – or how much we cherish time outdoors, when 30 minutes of fresh air daily was our government- mandated limit. Perhaps you’ve even got a new-found gratitude for your office, having spent three months hunched over a laptop at your kitchen table, making small talk with your cat. One thing we all seem to agree on is how much we treasure Cambridge’s independent businesses, which have seen an outpouring of support over the last few months. In the blink of an eye, local cafes, restaurants, shops and venues had to turn their business models upside down, pivoting to takeaways, at- home meal kits, drive-through shopping, deliveries by bicycle, virtual events and more – offering a masterclass in creativity and adaptability. The hospitality sector has been particularly impressive in its reinvention, with all sorts of amazing at-home dining experiences emerging from lockdown. From Vanderlyle To Go to bottled cocktails and steam-your-own bao sets, we round up our favourites over on page 35. As lockdown eases, the city is coming back to life, and there’s a crop of new openings to get excited about, including a cute barbershop-turned-café, a bagel bar and two vegan eateries: get the lowdown on page 25. Elsewhere in the issue, we’ve got some fun ideas for family days out (page 15), a trio of tasty picnic recipes from iconic local bakery Fitzbillies (page 40), a round- up of the city’s top alfresco dining spots (page 32), and news of
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CAMBRIDGE EDITIONMAGAZINE Bright Publishing Ltd, Bright House, 82 High Street, Sawston, Cambridgeshire CB22 3HJ, 01223 499450, cambsedition.co.uk • All rights reserved. Material contained in this publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior permission of the publishers. • Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Cambridge Edition or Bright Publishing Ltd, which do not accept any liability for loss or damage. • Every effort has been made to ensure all information is correct. • Cambridge Edition is a free publication that is distributed in Cambridge and the surrounding area.
outdoor cinema screenings and more in our Arts & Culture section (from page 7). Not ready to venture out yet? Curl up with our book club recommendation instead (page 12). Enjoy the issue and see you next month! Nicola Foley EDITOR IN CHIEF
This month’s cover illustration was created by Emily Lancaster , designer at Bright Publishing
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7 ● ARTS & CULTURE Virtual festivals, open-air cinema and other cultural goings-on in town this month 12 ● BOOK CLUB Brit Bennett’s The Vanishing Half is our reading recommendation for August 15 ● SUMMER DAYS OUT Summer isn’t cancelled – here are ten great ideas for socially distant fun for the family 25 ● NEW IN TOWN A bagel bar, a barbershop-turned-cafe and a vegan bistro: explore the city’s new eateries
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31 ● CHEF’S TABLE Chef Alex Rushmer shares his guilty lockdown pleasures
32 ● ALRESCO FUN Rooftop bars, meadow dining, chic courtyards and more 35 ● STAND & DELIVER The tastiest DIY meal kits and food deliveries to have emerged from lockdown 40 ● RECIPES The Fitzbillies team share a trio of perfect picnic recipes to try at home 45 ● LIFE ON THE VEG Chelsea Fearnley explores Cambridge’s most delicious plant-based dishes
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46 ● INTERIORS Local homewares stores give the lowdown on the interiors trends coming our way 51 ● GARDENS This month’s garden jobs, plus stylish alfresco furniture for summer entertaining 55 ● BEAUTY Beauty buff Daisy Dickinson talks at-home pampering ideas 57 ● RADIO GAGA Cambridge 105 celebrates 10 years of broadcasting
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CAMBRIDGE FOLK FESTIVAL AT HOME Cambridge Folk Festival may have been cancelled, but the organisers are encouraging fans of the event to recreate the magic and music at home, offering a weekend of entertainment and activities. Running during the scheduled dates of the festival (30 July to 2 August), Cambridge Folk Festival at Home will feature exclusive video content from artists, plus social media-based fun and Cambridge-curated playlists which can be streamed online. As part of the celebrations, BBC Folk Singer of the Year Bella Hardy will lead the Cambridge Folk Festival’s Virtual Choir. She held a live workshop on 11 July where participants learned to sing The Parting Glass together in a perfect three-part harmony, then submitted videos of themselves singing which will form part of a ‘choral collage’ to be shared over the course of the weekend. Another highlight of the weekend will be the Songlines Interview, which will be streamed on Facebook, featuring Songlines Magazine editor Jo Frost in conversation with Fatoumata Diawara, while further talks and workshops include folk singer Sam Lee discussing environmentalism, storytelling with Alex Ultradish and a movement workshop created by Debbie Norris, who choreographed the folk ballet The Sisters of Elva Hill which premiered at the 2019 Festival. Keep an eye on the festival’s social media for
CAMBRIDGE LITERARY FESTIVAL VIRTUAL EVENT
This month will see Cambridge Literary Festival host a virtual event with author Ali Smith, who will be discussing Summer , the final instalment of her seasonal quartet. Available to watch at 7pm on 13 August, the broadcast will feature festival honorary patron Alex Clark as chair. Alex and Ali know each other very well, with Alex having interviewed Ali many times over the years for the festival as well as in her role as a journalist for The Guardian . “It’s such an exciting thrill, honour and privilege for CLF to host this exclusive event,” enthuses festival director Cathy Moore. “Ali’s talks over the years have mesmerised and captivated audiences; she has an ability like no other to capture with words what the rest of us are thinking, but hadn’t actually realised. I am an absolute fan and can’t wait to get hold of a copy of the new book.” cambridgeliteraryfestival.com
more announcements. cambridgelive.org.uk
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OPEN CAMBRIDGE GOES VIRTUAL Learn about our city’s fascinating heritage and history at this year’s Open Cambridge, taking place 11 to 13 September. Due to the impact of Covid-19, the organisers have made the decision to cancel the physical event, opting instead to lay on a series of free online events, including virtual tours, podcasts and films. It’s a chance to see some of Cambridge’s hidden gems and learn more about its extraordinary past, with a special focus on stories and spaces that are off the beaten track, or overlooked or forgotten. Tickets for Open Cambridge are usually in high demand, but given that this year’s event is digital, the festival is boundless in its accessibility, and the organisers hope to attract a diverse – and potentially global – audience. “This is a hugely exciting opportunity for the whole community to come together and put on a fantastic online festival that presents Cambridge in a new way,” explains event coordinator Sue Long. “We want people to get involved in this celebration of our beautiful city, the stunning architecture, exquisite gardens, and its rich past. We’re keen to showcase all Cambridge has to offer, its big and little wonders, and we are very much looking forward to people’s suggestions.” opencambridge.cam.ac.uk
ENCHANTED CINEMA We’ve got a feeling that outdoor cinema is going to come into its own in the post-pandemic world, but Cambridge already has some pros on the scene in the shape of Enchanted Cinema, which has been popping up in the city’s green spaces since the summer of 2015. For their 2020 season, the team will be taking over the walled garden at the Gonville Hotel, screening classics including Back To The Future , Grease and Dirty Dancing , along with newer hits such as A Star Is Born and The Greatest Showman . The season runs right the way through until 20 September, and alongside great films you can expect light shows, live music and tasty nibbles. Tickets available via cambridgelive.org.uk
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HELP SAVE CAMBRIDGE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL! A beloved fixture of our summer calendar for 33 years, Cambridge Shakespeare Festival is the latest arts event to become a casualty of the Covid-19 crisis. Having been forced to cancel all of its 2020 performances, the festival finds itself in dire straits financially, and has asked the public to consider making a donation to help secure its future. The festival’s Artistic Director, Dr David in August 2019. We won’t receive anything from ticket sales until June 2021, which means we must try to survive for 22 months without any income. Like any other going concern we still have bills to pay for offices, warehouse storage, vehicles, insurance, costume storage, repair and maintenance.” David added that in addition to things ‘ticking over’ there are the start-up in ticket sales. But there are significant bills to pay in order to get the festival up and running in the first place, well before tickets go on sale. In order to ensure the survival of the festival, the organisers have established a crowdfunding appeal, which went live on 21 June (appropriately, midsummer night). Anyone wishing to invest in the future of the Cambridge Shakespeare
Festival can do so via the festival website cambridgeshakespeare.com , or through crowdfunder.co.uk
costs associated with each year’s festival. In total, the costs of putting on the festival are well in excess of £200,000, and much of that is recouped
Crilly, has personally underwritten the festival throughout its existence but explains; “Our income stream ended at the close of the festival
STAR & MOUSE DRIVE- IN MOVIE THEATRE Experience a vintage-style drive-in cinema experience at Burwash Manor this month, complete with classic films, popcorn and a glass of fizz. car bingo, quizzes, live music and food and drinks as we bring a little pre-film entertainment your way before your movie starts at sundown. We’ll be
It’s brought to us by Cambridge’s ‘trinket cinema’, the Star &Mouse Picture Show, which hosts magical movie screenings in beautiful locations around the county and beyond. “Get ready to revel, for we’re packing a party vibe into the trunk of one hell of a drive-in experience,” say the organisers. “We’ll be bringing a little Hollywood glamour and lashings of Americana swagger right to your doorstep; that’s right Toots, we’re pulling out all the stops. This ain’t just an ordinary drive-in my friend. Prepare yourself for DJ sets,
heading up a full house of 80s classics as well as introducing you to some newer blockbuster hits that you may have on your must-see list.” Films will be broadcast on a huge, 52ft inflatable screen, with sound transmitted via FM directly to your car radio. On the bill for summer 2020 are Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (5 August), Pretty Woman (6 August), Knives Out (7 August), Rocketman (8 August) and Some Like it Hot (9 August), with prices starting at £25 per car. starandmouse.com
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NOW BOOKING CAMBRIDGE DAY FESTIVAL 3 OCT, JUNCTION, £17 Promoters Jacfest present a one-day festival featuring breakbeat, garage and disco tunes, plus street food and circus performers. ROSS NOBLE: HUMOURNOID 4 FEB, CORN EX, £29 The popular stand- up comedian brings his wild tangents and improvisational wizardry to Cambridge in February. CRAIG CHARLES 18 DEC, JUNCTION, £19.50 The funk and soul supremo returns to the Junction for his annual pre-Christmas knees up. Expect great tunes old and new. THEATRE, FROM £20 The first announced show after the theatre’s hiatus, this comedy caper follows an unruly classroom of six year olds on their growing up journey. GROAN UPS 19-24 OCT, ARTS
ILLUMINATING CAMBRIDGE LIBRARIES The result of a photography project spanning three years, Sara Rawlinson’s Illuminating Cambridge Libraries series is now available as a luscious oversized book of photographs. Offering a imagination. No detail escapes the artist’s lens,” says Dr Jessica Gardner, the university librarian. “The idea of the library is
deconstructed into unfamiliar shapes and angles, a shaft of light in a stairwell, a solitary chair tucked by a bookcase, a long view up to a decorative ceiling. And yet the whole is put back to together, more than its parts, as we gaze at the photographs and fill the spaces with memory and reverence, for what Sara calls her ‘houses of the holy.’” A perfect gift for book lovers and architecture enthusiasts, the book is priced at £32 and can be ordered online directly from the artist at sararawlinson. com , or ask at your local Cambridge bookshop or gift shop.
behind-the-scenes peek into libraries from all 31 of the university’s colleges, the book “shows us the heart and soul of a university – its dissemination and preservation of knowledge.” The book contains nearly 500 images, organised by geometry or lightness, and begins with a lyrical essay by Cambridge- based poet Michael Brown. Together, the photos create a journey through each library; from climbing the stairs to the entrance to locating a book on the shelves and a nook in which to read it. “Sara’s book is feast for the eye and
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BOOK CLUB
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t isn’t a surprise that The Vanishing Half currently sits on bestseller lists. The second book from American author Brit Bennett, following her successful debut The Mothers , was always going
to be a literary event – but a novel about sisters and family and the intimate, unbreakable connections between those who know each other best has resonated particularly deeply during a time when we’ve all been isolated from our loved ones. The tale follows identical twin sisters Desiree and Stella Vignes as they grow and make life choices with unforeseeable consequences. As black women born and raised in an isolated American backwater called Mallard, where lightness of skin is cruelly prized by the all-black community over seemingly everything else, they survive extraordinary childhood trauma and escape to the big city at the age of 16 – where Stella is mistaken for a white woman and steps into a new life, leaving Desiree to make her own way. Decades pass until a chance connection between their daughters sees the two sisters’ paths cross again: but can the countless lies and deceptions be overcome? The book opens with Desiree’s return to Mallard in 1968, holding her eight-year- old, dark-skinned daughter Jude by the hand. News spreads like wildfire through the town, and people speculate about the young family’s reasons for turning up: it’s revealed that Desiree is escaping an abusive marriage and is moving home to her mother, Adele Vignes. “Maybe they should have gone somewhere new, started over fresh. But it was too late now for regrets.” Bennett’s epic story then moves seamlessly forward and backward in time between the sisters’ childhood and Desiree’s return. We meet Early Jones, a manhunter sent to find Desiree by her furious husband, and watch as the young woman learns to experience her hometown with a
WORDS BY CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS
THE VANISHING HALF BY BRIT BENNETT
necessary to calmly guide readers through the storylines, all webbed with well-meant deceit and sticky layers of falsehoods. As a young woman, Stella tested the limits of the controlling, racist system several times by stepping into white-only shops and museums, concluding: “there was nothing to being white except boldness. You could convince anyone you belonged somewhere if you acted like you did.” But when you’ve played a part for an entire lifetime, as the older Stella has amongst her white husband’s family and the all-white, homeowners’ association-run community where they live in Los Angeles – maybe “acting for that long ceased to be acting altogether”. This older Stella actively avoids black people, heeding her mother’s words that “we always know our own”, afraid of
missing half. As a child, it was Stella who depended on her bolder sister for strength and support: the reverse would seem to be true as adults, with Desiree’s youthful determination and grit seemingly tempered by the “world’s immeasurable cruelties” that her mother attempted to conceal from the twin sisters. As Early observes: “the key to staying lost was to never love anything.” Yet when family ties run that deep, staying lost proves an impossible feat for the protagonists: whether by chance encounter or, faced with no alternatives, confronting one’s past head on. Bennett’s sparse but compassionate style shimmers on the page: her descriptive passages read like the reassuringly trustworthy opening of news reports, impartially relaying the truth of events –
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the repercussions if her lifelong lies are revealed. It’s only when Jude, Desiree’s dark-skinned daughter, meets Stella’s white- passing daughter Kennedy and slowly puts two-and-two together that the webs start to become unstuck, and the uncomfortable truths start to out. “A long-lost relative – you’d have something in common, wouldn’t you?,” Jude wonders. “Maybe you couldn’t spot it at first but in time, you’d feel, somehow, your shared blood. But the longer [Jude] spent around Kennedy, the more foreign the girl seemed.” The spoilt Kennedy has pursued a career as an actor, playing parts where – as she says herself – “you only show people what you want to”. Her choice of profession is another moment to consider reality and performance within our everyday lives – as Kennedy ponders: it’s “strange that the greatest compliment an actress could receive was that she had disappeared into somebody else. Acting is not about being seen, a drama teacher told her once. True acting meant becoming invisible so that only the character shone through”. Yet one’s character is of no interest to the cruel ‘colourstruck’ (as Desiree calls it) community their mothers were raised in: can they ever escape the impact of the racist beliefs that founded their town? Several times in the book it’s mentioned that Mallard doesn’t appear on maps, and “A novel about sisters and the unbreakable connections between those who know each other best”
towards the end of the novel it vanishes completely, swallowed up by suburbs. But its heavy hand remains on all the characters’ shoulders throughout the book. “A place was not solid,” Early Jones thinks at one point. “A town was jelly, forever moulding around your memories.” But whether those memories can ever truly be trusted or not is another question constantly raised by the book, as the sands shift around the characters’ feet and we see the same tropes, the same challenges, play out in both the sisters’ and the daughters’ lives. This is the perfect story for these uncertain times: sat at home, isolated, without people to interact with and reflect our projected selves, reading The Vanishing Half may prompt deeper questions about one’s true values and identities. Who are we, really? What makes us who we are? Can we, as the younger Desiree hopes, “flick away history like shrugging a hand off your shoulder” – or are we indelibly marked by where we come from? If you can find a copy of this book, buy one – it wholly deserves its wild success.
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DAYS OUT
S umme r is n ’t c a ncell e d! YOU CAN KEEP YOUR SOCIAL DISTANCE AND STILL HAVE FUN. HERE ARE TEN IDEAS FOR FAMILY DAYS OUT THIS AUGUST
1 CAMP LODESTAR Loading the family on to an Easyjet flight for a two-week stay in the sun is probably off the table for this year’s summer holiday, so why not look a little closer to home? Lodestar founder Doug Durrant has launched a pop-up campsite in Lode, on the rolling meadows where the festival once took place, which will be open from 25 July to 21 August. With 200 acres of peaceful countryside, it’s the perfect spot for escaping to the great outdoors, with plenty of walks and cycle paths to help you explore the surrounding Fenlands. “Whether people are seasoned campers or not, now is the time to enjoy the benefits of fresh air and the summer sun,” says Doug. “Now is your opportunity to enjoy the big outdoors on your doorstep.” A pitch for two adults and three children (including a toilet on the pitch) is £175. lodestarfestival.com
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our collection – which supports plant science research into some of the world’s most challenging problems – but it has become apparent just how important our visitors are to bring life, enjoyment and support to our 40 acres.” The garden is currently bursting with blooms after the recent downpours made up for the unusually dry spring – so there’s plenty to enjoy and explore, and the Garden Cafe and shop have reopened for picking up food, drink and mementos of your day. The garden is open every day between 10am and 6pm, and tickets must now be booked in advance via the website. botanic.cam.ac.uk
BOTANIC GARDEN After a nearly 12-week closure, the Cambridge
University Botanic Garden reopened to the public at the
end of June. Though the team has had to make some changes, such as one-way systems, they hope that the garden’s peaceful charms will provide an oasis of calm during these uncertain times. “We’ve missed the sound of people’s voices in the garden,” says Professor Beverley Glover, director of CUBG. “The happy shouts of children and the conversations people have about particular plants and plantings. During lockdown we have continued to maintain
If you often wish your family would get lost, a trip to the Skylark Maize Maze might be just the ticket! Located in Wimblington, this giant corn-based labyrinth is designed anew each year – 2020 brings us an extra-special ‘thank you’ message to the NHS. Kids will also love the Funyard, which is packed with outdoor games, inflatables, go karts and animals to meet, plus when tummies start rumbling there’s a cafe or BBQ kiosk. skylark-events.co.uk SKYLARK MAIZE MAZE
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WOBURN SAFARI PARK
Take a walk on the wild side at Woburn Safari Park, where you can get up close and personal with big cats, elephants, black bears and more – all from the comfort of your own car. The road safari travels through sweeping parkland reserves, from the Northern Plains, which are home to bison and camels, before crossing into the Savannah Grasslands, where you’ll make your way through a herd of Ankole cattle and see white rhinos, wildebeest and buffalos. Buckle up and double check your windows are shut for the next stop, the Kingdom of Carnivores, which is where you’ll find Amur tigers, African lions and North American bears. The park is also home to one of the largest herds of giraffe in Europe, plus a mischievous troop of Barbary macaque monkeys who enjoy nothing more than bouncing on visitors’ cars. The fun doesn’t stop here: there’s also a foot safari on which you can visit smaller mammals and birds, plus boats, a railway and
4 CROMWELL QUEST
Learn more about one of history’s most compelling figures on the Cromwell Quest – a family day out back in time to the 17th century. Treasure has been hidden in Oliver Cromwell’s house in Ely, and using a series of clues and some snazzy augmented reality, your job is to reveal its location. The quest is currently offered at the reduced price of £3 per family for the summer holidays. Kids can also try the popular spotter trails, and there are all sorts of additional summer walks taking place which allow the whole family to explore and enjoy Ely’s rich heritage. olivercromwellshouse.co.uk
outdoor play areas. woburnsafari.co.uk
6 LEGO DAY
Brick History, an exhibition on display at the Grand Arcade this month, takes famous moments from history and reimagines them as incredible LEGO® brick creations. From DNA to the Big Bang, Mozart, Martin Luther King and mobile phones, LEGO® artist Warren Elsmore and his team have created a celebration of our shared stories, struggles and triumphs, made from everyone’s favourite Danish toy. Running from 10 to 23 August, you can expect tiny recreations of Concorde and the Titanic that could fit in your hand, a 1.5m square medieval castle bustling with activity, and many more models to make you smile, make you think – and inspire you to build a better world.
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DAYS OUT
7 GO APE
8 PUNTING
The most quintessentially Cambridge of all summer activities, punting has had to make changes in this brave new world. It may be a very traditional industry, but the city’s operators have wasted no time in implementing high-tech solutions to new regulations and restrictions. Let’s Go Punting has created an online booking platform with a text messaging service to alert punters of their boat’s departure, eliminating queues, as well as launching the first audio tour app for punting, which delivers snippets of info about the historic buildings as you glide past. Another new addition is Perspex screens to form a protective barrier between groups from different households, making for a safe and relaxing day on the river. letsgopunting.co.uk
You’ll be king of the swingers on a treetop adventure at Go Ape, which offers a range of
high-flying adventures from its woodland base in Thetford. It’ll be easy to social distance as you navigate your way along the treetop crossings, tackle obstacles and have fun exploring the wilderness. There are also routes for cycling, plus you can try archery, have a go on giant swings, visit treehouses and pyramids, and zoom about on an off-road Segway. goape.co.uk
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9 ORCHARD YURT
A magical little find just outside Saffron Walden, The Orchard Yurt would make a glorious family day out in the great
outdoors – with a little glamping luxury on the side. Book the space for £20 per half day or £40 for a full day (it’s also available for overnight stays through Airbnb), and make the most of the private orchard and beautiful domed yurt, which comes complete with log burning stoves, books, games and seating. There’s everything you need to make a perfect campfire, too – including marshmallows for toasting, plus some chickens to meet, and an outdoor kitchen if needed. What more could you want for an enchanting family day out? Search The Orchard Yurt on Facebook for more details.
CITY PARKS For a free day out, look to the city’s green spaces. There’s Cherry Hinton Hall Park, a lush and leafy 12 hectares with large ponds, ducks to feed and a grand Victorian house at its centre, or a must-visit for families is Byron’s Pool, a peaceful woodland site where you can take a circular riverside walk and see kingfishers and grey wagtails, as well as a number of pretty ponds brimming with wildlife. There’s also Lammas Land, to the south-west of the city between Fen Causeway and Newnham Road, which is a popular summer spot for its paddling pool, play area and picnic spots, and Wandlebury Country Park (pictured), a beautiful countryside estate that offers miles of walks through woodland and wildflower meadows, grazed by Highland cattle.
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ADVERT I SEMENT F EATURE
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ADVERT I SEMENT F EATURE
COME AND TREAT YOURSELF AS CAMBRIDGE OPENS SAFELY
Cambridge is now open and measures have been put in place to ensure visitors to the city and those working are kept safe. There is directional signage asking you to keep to the left-hand side and please keep a safe distance from others while you are out enjoying our fabulous city. Masks must be worn while in shops
and please ensure you wash your hands regularly and use hand sanitiser where it’s provided. Cambridge has so much to offer everyone, so why not be a tourist in your own city – and support our local businesses? Here’s just a snippet of what you can do during your visit…
Flowing through the city, the River Cam is a major attraction, so taking a punt along the Backs – seeing all the sights as you gently cruise your way along – is a very popular activity for visitors and residents alike. Treat yourself to a champagne picnic and take your loved one on a romantic afternoon out. PUNTING AND THE RIVER CAM Cambridge market has been operating since ancient times: it’s all open air and the ultimate centre of the city. You can find yourselves mingling with locals and buzzing traders selling art, gift items and delicious range of multicultural foods. Market Square, in the heart of Cambridge, is a great place to grab and go while you still want to be on your legs to explore. MARKET SQUARE
With the new government Eat Out to Help Out scheme, now is the time to visit all those restaurants you never quite got round to trying. From Monday to Wednesday, participating restaurants offer 50% off for each person (to a maximum of £10pp, and alcoholic drinks not included) throughout August. Keep your eye out for the list of participating restaurants throughout the city and beyond. FABULOUS DINING
Now more than ever, we have been blessed with the opportunity to take our time. This could be learning a new instrument – with Miller’s Music and Cambridge Strings on hand to guide you to the right purchase – or what about taking up a new sport? With hairdressers and nail bars opening, we can now spend a little time and money on ourselves, too – treat yourself to a fresh look! TAKE YOUR TIME Cambridge is spoilt with a choice of alfresco bars, not only giving you the option to enjoy a refreshing cold drink, but to also soak up those fabulous views. The Gonville Hotel, Novi, The Varsity Hotel and Revolution all have an outdoor bar option. New for summer 2020, Parkers Tavern and MillWorks are opening outdoor dining areas, ensuring you can still eat at your favourite places, but outside. ALFRESCO DRINKS
GELATO
Let’s not forget the kids (and us big kids) when looking at treats – why not pop to Jack’s Gelato, Aromi or Benets cafe for some of the best ice cream you’ll find outside of Italy? With daily changing flavours, you are spoilt for choice!
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P ICNIC RECI PES•NEW OPENINGS•CHE F ’ S TAB L E•VEGAN TREATS
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FOOD & DR INK
N e w in t ow n A CROP OF EXCITING EATERIES AND SERVICES ARE BRINGING NEW LIFE TO THE CAMBRIDGE DINING SCENE
VETOMEATO Fragrant curries, burgers, gourmet
amazing food is found in nooks and crannies; served by vendors sizzling, steaming and grilling in alleyways, markets, and on pavements. Celebrating the best food from the ground – vegetables, herbs, spices – Vetomeato is bringing you far-flung flavours through inventive dishes and global classics that will excite and satisfy.”
fries, falafel popcorn and steamed greens with peanut sauce. Mains are priced at £7 each, or you can opt for a family sharing box, and seating is available both inside and outside within Ta Bouche’s revamped, socially distanced dining area. “Our diners can travel via their taste buds!” says Vetomeato’s co-owner. “It’s no secret that some of the world’s most
kebabs and more are in store for diners at Vetomeato, a new plant-based eatery operating out of Ta Bouche in the city centre. Along with a range of ‘rebellious street food’ inspired by southeast Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines, there will be vegan drinks and sides, including kimchi
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NANNA JUDE’S BAGELS Whether you fancy sinking your teeth into the finest paella this side of Valencia or warming your soul with a steaming bowl of Sri Lankan curry, there’s a world of flavours and cuisines to explore on Cambridge’s food scene. One thing we’ve never had? A seriously good bagel shop. But all that’s about to change with brand-new bakery and mobile food truck Nanna Jude’s, which will be launching in its bricks-and-mortar form at Cambridge train station within the next few weeks. You can expect salt beef bagels worthy of London’s Brick Lane from this outfit, which is on a mission to bring traditional kosher street food to Cambridge, with a modern twist.
The eatery is the brainchild of Sam Partridge, who’s joined by his wife, daughter, daughter-in-law and close family friends, the Hiders. The Partridge family geography spans Bratislava, Vienna and London, which is where their mother, Judith, settled in the 1940s – the ‘Nanna Jude’ of the company’s name. Alongside the classic salt beef (pictured right with a toasted bagel, salt beef, onion chutney and double-smoked cheese), the menu includes a ‘chicken schnitzel bagel’ composed of breadcrumbed chicken breast and lemon and chive mayo with rocket, as well as an assortment of cakes and drinks to try. Search Nanna Jude’s Bagels on Facebook for updates.
FOODSTUFFF Nine months ago, Toby Savill and James Perry (pictured left) were in the early stages of developing a food delivery app in London, with a view to testing it in Soho. Then Covid-19 happened and the brakes were slammed on – but with the pair finding themselves temporarily living in Cambridge, a new plan emerged. Foodstufff was born, quickly beginning its mission to give independent eateries a fairer deal in the delivery marketplace. The model gives restaurants and cafes 100% of the order money (taking only a nominal monthly sub fee of £30 – a figure in stark contrast to the 35% cut companies like Deliveroo can take per order), and delivering via eco-friendly bicycle. Launching a new business during peak lockdown definitely came with its challenges, says Toby, but there’s no doubt that the climate was pretty much perfect for Foodstufff ’s particular offering. “The urge at the moment to support independents has helped us,” he explains. “People love the independents in Cambridge, and don’t want them to go anywhere – we’ve been lucky to be a part of that. What we’ve learnt is that it’s definitely an educational piece, too, people don’t necessarily realise how much Deliveroo charges and how much that can damage small businesses.” Uptake has been great so far, with twenty vendors signing up, including Cambridge favourites like Steak & Honour, Amélie, Scott’s All Day and Fitzbillies, and more being added every week. The goal is to focus on Cambridge, recruiting the city’s top traders into the Foodstufff family, before expanding to as many as five different locations by next summer – potentially offering more profitable, greener delivery method for eateries around the country. Watch this space! foodstufff.co.uk
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GOG & GO The Gog has demonstrated its ingenuity and innovative spirit repeatedly over the course of the Covid-19 crisis, first with its drive-through grocery shop and now with ‘Gog & Go’, a new takeaway service. Head chef Gary is back in the kitchens working his magic and whipping up seasonal salads, freshly made baguettes, hummus, crudites and more delicious light bites, all made with the best Gog ingredients and local produce. They’re perfect for lunch on the go, refuelling after a walk over the Gog Magog Hills or just as a little treat! thegog.com
BARBARELLA In an excellent piece of news for CB4 dwellers, the team behind The Linton Kitchen has just opened a cafe on Chesterton High Street. Sitting on the site of the Blue Moon Barbers, the cafe has been named Barbarella in honour of the building’s heritage, and still bears the original 1950s barbershop pole (though now it’s painted pink and gold!). “We’d been looking for a potential second site, and a few opportunities had arisen over the years, but nothing I felt was right for us,” explains owner Gemma Whiting. “Last year, some friends approached me with a shop in east Chesterton: they’d bought the shop and flat space next door to their house. It seemed like the right fit. I was aiming to open late 2019, but planning issues and falling pregnant put that on hold! Topped off with the pandemic as we were about to start the refurb meant we had to pivot and think outside the box.” Gemma headed in a new direction, teaming up with local florist and grower The Botanical Alchemist to open Barbarella as a pop-up takeaway and flower shop, “until Covid subsides and allows us to refurb and metamorphose into the cafe we intend to be!” Currently, you can pop in for delicious bakes and hot drinks, with brunches, lunches and grab-and-go picnic offerings arriving soon. Coffee comes from Hot Numbers and all sweet treats are sourced from Barbarella’s big sister The
Linton Kitchen. There’s also a range of pantry items, including bread flour, jars of local honey, fresh Suffolk free-range eggs and Grain Culture bread and pastries. “We’ve had great support so far and when the weather remembers to be sunny again there will be some 1m+ outdoor seating for people to watch the world go by from,” says Gemma. “I can’t wait for some normality to return so we can embed ourselves as a community hub in east Chesterton, just as we have done in Linton.”
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THRIVE Cambridge’s vegan dining options are expanding all the time, with the likes of Vegan Vice, Doppleganger and Wandering Yak all doing a roaring trade and demonstrating just how interesting (and delicious!) vegan food can be. The latest plant-based enterprise to join their ranks is Thrive, which occupies the three-storey building on the corner of Norfolk Street and East Road that used to house CB2. The cafe and bistro, which opened its doors in July, is a passion project for a group of five friends who met through a love of vegan food and coffee. “We’ve got quite a wide mix of skills and backgrounds in business and hospitality, and we knew that we had a shared vision and wanted to create somewhere nice to connect with
room with a stage, an outdoor terrace, plus ‘The Hive’ – a bright and peaceful studio at the rear of the building which the owners envisage being used for yoga classes and meetings. Food-wise, you can expect a tempting assortment of vegan bakes, such as homemade jaffa cakes and white chocolate-marbled flapjacks, plus cold brews, kombucha and Hot Numbers coffee to drink, and a range of meals. “The menu will change quite frequently, but right now, for example, we’ve got tofish and chips with minted mushy peas, which has been our bestseller so far. In fact, somebody said yesterday that we did the best chips this side of Wells-next-the-Sea harbour!” grins Jeremy. “It’s kind of very easy street food, so we’ve also got deep- fried oyster mushrooms with garlic and thyme sauce, and onion bhaji fries, that kind of thing, and we’ll almost always have a pasta dish on. All the ingredients come from local businesses, and that’s really important to us.” There are also oodles of gluten-free options, and plans for a new brunch menu on the horizon, while longer term, Thrive has ambitions of becoming a hub of the community, hosting a variety of events and adapting its offering to best serve the people of Cambridge. “This is a long game we’re playing,” concludes Jeremy. “The five owners have all put a lot of money and time and creativity into this, and we don’t expect a fast buck, but it’s all about delivering on the vision that we have: to create a place for people to connect in. The response so far has been fantastic, and we want to keep evolving and responding to what people want.” thrivecambridge.com
people over good food, where no animal products are used,” says Jeremy Peters, one of Thrive’s founders. “Two or three of us were regulars at CB2 for many years. It’s such a prominent location and there’s loads of space and it’s really flexible. But it’s also next to the Full Circle shop, which we’re big fans of – so we now have an opening between the two shops, and also with [vintage clothing store] Serpentine Swap, and we all share a similar ethos: we all want to reduce the impact on the environment.” The team has given this beautiful 160-year-old building a complete overhaul, creating a fresh new look with the help of local creatives and craftspeople, plus much greenery from Darwin Nurseries. Along with three floors of cafe, there’s a basement
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CHE F ’ S TAB L E
CHEF’S TABLE Comfort viewing MISSING THE NIGHTLY BUZZ AT HIS RESTAURANT, ALEX RUSHMER HAS DEVELOPED A TASTE FOR TV SHOWS ABOUT SERVICE AND HOSPITALITY – INCLUDING A PARTICULARLY ADDICTIVE REALITY SERIES SET ON A LUXURY YACHT…
’m getting increasingly concerned, because it seems I’ve lost my sense of taste. To clarify: my palate is fine. Rather, I’m worried what lockdown has done to my previously highly tuned televisual barometer. Aside from a brief flirtation with Big Brother in 2004 (and taking part in the
occasional series of MasterChef ), I’ve steered unwaveringly towards drama, often high- budget, scripted US imports. The Sopranos and The West Wing remain – in my view – the pinnacle of the art form. But, as we are all discovering, pandemics do funny things to individuals and society in general. Obviously, the opening parenthesis of lockdown entertainment was Tiger King , a meth-fuelled romp through the alien world of southern libertarian extremism involving big cats, petty and wildly escalating feuds, conspiracies, guns, polygamy and lots of drugs. It caught our imagination precisely because it presented a world alien to us all, brilliantly unfamiliar and yet precisely attuned to the worrying territory we were entering as we began our isolation. I’ve also become joyfully acquainted with Treme , David Simon’s staggeringly brilliant follow-up to The Wire (confession, I gave up on The Wire two episodes into the third season). Set in post-Katrina New Orleans, it focuses on recovery and resilience, grit and determination, hustle and hard work. We see chefs, musicians, labourers and lawyers gradually rebuilding their lives and desperately trying to make sense of the chaos wrought by The Storm. It is perfect pandemic fodder, and has such a human heart running through its core that after spending three months with these characters, I feel as if I’ve been watching a group of friends come together to try and mend their shattered lives, careers and homes. But more recently I’ve been gorging on something far less nutritious. Below Deck had, until last week, slipped under my radar (something Captain Lee would surely fire me for: if you know, you know). For the uninitiated, Below Deck is a reality TV show
the guests are dining on land, cooking their fillet steaks for the crew and then hearing over the radio that the restaurant wasn’t to their taste and they are returning to the boat. It’s about constantly battling against the changing winds, and trying not to let the smile break. Much like in Treme , there is a core of genuine humanity that runs through the show: people trying to do what is best for each other and for their guests and customers. Together these shows have been the port and starboard that has filled the void where hospitality used to be in my life. Each one has made me laugh heartily
in the Bravo stable. Set on a luxury super yacht, it follows the crew through a short summer season looking after a series of mostly awful, extremely rich charter guests who come and go and whose presence is entirely forgettable. The real stories take place – as you would expect – below deck, as the crew navigate their way through the Caribbean living, working and sleeping together in such close proximity that you marvel at the fact they haven’t thrown each other overboard within about 48 hours. But mostly, Below Deck is a series about service and hospitality. It is about the deckhands, stewardesses and chefs working tirelessly to cater for every whim and desire of the painfully capricious guests. It’s about appearing effortless while at the same time trying to find a way to make a mojito without any mint (hint: find something – anything – green and add mint essence), or desperately scrabbling together a wedding banquet with less than 24 hours’ notice. Or being told that
and cry uncontrollably at the thought of what we had, the extent of the hiatus and the prospect that one day, soon, we might just be able to welcome guests into our restaurant once again.
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THE LODGE, DUXFORD Tucked away in the sleepy south Cambs countryside, the chic courtyard at The Lodge, Duxford is a total revelation. A large, multilevel space with stylish furniture, festoon lighting, firepits, an outdoor bar and even a DJ at weekends; it’s the latest string to this boutique hotel’s bow to be revealed. On the menu are a range of fabulous-sounding pizzas, an expansive cocktail and wine list, plus afternoon teas and an ‘off the grill’ selection, where you can find steak, burgers and the like. If you really fancy a treat, why not book in for an overnight stay? The rooms are gorgeously designed Kitchen. Since opening in 2019, it’s won an army of fans with its flame-cooked dishes and Sunday roasts, and it’s about to pick up even more with its new garden dining area. A rolling meadow dotted with picnic tables and shady trees, you can order drinks at the outdoor bar (an Airstream van), and tuck into dishes including creamy burrata, chargrilled chicken flatbread and exquisite desserts. There’s loads of space, making it ideal for kids (or social distancing like a pro), and there’s also a courtyard dining area to the side of the restaurant for a more intimate dining experience. Alfre s co fun SOAK UP SOME RAYS WITH YOUR COCKTAIL AND RECLINE IN STYLE AT ONE OF THE CITY’S TOP OUTDOOR DINING VENUES and full of mod cons to make your minibreak as comfortable as possible. BRIX AND MORTAR A firm Edition favourite, Brix and Mortar is a cafe, deli and restaurant in Whittlesford run by the team behind Provenance
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THE VARSITY HOTEL Cambridge’s original roof terrace experience, this stylish spot is where to head for city views with wow factor, tasty cocktails and gourmet BBQ food. Drinks range from summer favourites like Pimm’s, Aperol spritz and sangria to perfectly mixed classics like negronis and caipirinhas. MILLWORKS A brand-new addition to this riverside restaurant’s offering, Millworks’ roof terrace was revealed when the eatery reopened after lockdown. With bags of space, it’s a good spot for some socially distanced bevs, plus this Cambscuisine outpost serves a lip-smackingly good range of steaks, burgers and sharing boards – not to mention the Rupture Rapture; a giant ice-cream sundae loaded with brownies, churros and whipped cream.
THE RUPERT BROOKE Tucked away in historic Grantchester, this sleek venue cuts a strikingly modern figure and boasts a fantastic reputation for its food. The stylish terrace – added in 2014 – is the icing on the cake, offering a gorgeous spot for afternoon tea or lunch looking out across the thatched rooftops and rolling fields of the surrounding countryside. DE LUCA ROOF TERRACE Boasting great views across Parker’s Piece, this fairy-lit terrace is one of the city centre’s best-kept secrets. There’s an extensive cocktail list to make your way through, as well as indulgent Italian dishes aplenty. The restaurant is also taking part in the government- backed ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ offer on Wednesdays, so snap up a bargain!
NOVI With botanical cocktails, lush foliage and fragrant tabletop herb pots, the roof terrace at Novi is a treat for the senses. It’s ideal for summer, but come winter, it’s cleverly transformed into a cosy tipi den, complete with outdoor heaters, sheepskins and cosy blankets.
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