Cambridge Edition February 2020

ADVERT I SEMENT F EATURE

NEW AT THE GRAFTON Exciting things are happening over at The Grafton Centre, where a clutch of great new retailers and eateries have opened their doors.

The Grafton’s revamped dining offering, Food Social, is taking off, too, with the centre now offering a fantastic range of eateries, many of which are indies. Upstairs, you can try the tasty, pizza-like flammekueche at Amélie, and burgers made to your specification at The Burger Priest. Try crispy duck wraps, pulled duck brioche buns and confit duck leg salad from The Duck Truck, or build your own feast, tailoring the base, veg and sauce for your crispy duck. The duck fat chips with rosemary rock salt sound well worth a try as well. Chi is also now open for business in the upstairs food court, making it the first bricks-and-mortar bao restaurant in the city. In addition to steamed buns, there’s also banh mi, chicken wings, noodle and rice bowls, salads, bubble waffles and bubble tea. Owner Aidan Tjinakiet is no stranger to the hospitality industry, his father having run Chinese restaurants for many years, including one (The Ambassador), which sat just outside The Grafton. Downstairs, Alex Signorelli has brought a slice of Italy to the centre with La Piazza, serving tapas, hearty Italian mains and gelato. There’s interesting spirits from indie distilleries, craft beer fromAlex’s hometown and cocktails on offer, including a Frangelico and limoncello number, which sounds ideal for a quick pre-cinema tipple.

If the New Year blues have you daydreaming about a holiday, find your way to ItsSo Travel, a locally owned, independent travel expert, which was opened by TV’s Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen in November. The company also operates in St Ives and works with more than 450 holiday companies and tour operators to provide customers with the best choice possible. It’s also got a spectacular, eye-catching fit-out, making booking almost as fun as the trip itself. Also new is the Shoe Embassy, which sells cool and quirky footwear for men and women, including quality Oxford brogues, sleek trainers and leather boots. The Grafton also recently welcomed social venture Harry Specters, which has won 34 industry awards in five years for its handcrafted luxury chocolates. The company was established in 2011 with the goal of creating a wide-ranging, top-quality chocolate selection, and providing employment and work experience for individuals with autism. It donates 60p of every £1 of profit made towards furthering the business’ social aims and opportunities for the personal development of its employees.

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