Twinkle Toast : glasgow

Showing posts with label glasgow. Show all posts

Friday, 18 May 2018

The Craft Pottery

If you have a bit of an arty side, (talent not required) and you need an outlet after a stressful day at work, I have the perfect solution.

The Craft Pottery is a real hidden gem in the city centre of Glasgow. A small studio on West Campbell St, they provide a peaceful setting to sit with friends or on your own and paint some pottery until your troubles melt away.

You can select a piece of hand-made pottery to paint - everything from mugs, plates, figurines and picture frames. It's all individually priced and ranges from £1 to £34, so it won't break the bank.

There's a £3 painter fee to get you started, and this covers unlimited time and paints. There are a variety of options along with sponges, stencils, stamps and other tools to create something unique.

Best of all, it's BYOB and there's no corkage fee, so you can enjoy a chilled glass of wine or beer as you paint. What could be more blissful?

Last week, I visited on a Thursday evening with my friend. She painted a ceramic seahorse and I tried my hand at a spoon holder (not entirely sure the correct term for this. Spoon rest?)

After you're done, the team will glaze and fire your pottery for you and you can come back to collect it, usually in about a week's time.

The Craft Pottery is open until 8pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays and 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays. They also offer party packages and regular pottery workshops and classes. All ages are welcome, too.

For me, this was the perfect mid-week activity. Relaxing and detoxing, social and affordable - a great alternative to the pub and you get something tangible to take away at the end of it.

Glasgow's new home of whisky

The River Clyde is synonymous with shipbuilding and construction, but more recently with modern science, technology and innovation. Once the industrial hub of the city and gateway to the world, the shipyards and factories on the banks of the Clyde employed thousands of manual workers, building huge liners, importing goods and sending Scottish exports all over the world.

At the Queen's Dock, Crates bringing back spices from Asia and tobacco from America filled the air with a mixture of new and exotic scents. Among these was another unmistakable aroma: Scotch whisky. Right here, on the site of the birth of the whisky industry sits the newly opened Clydeside Distillery.

In its heyday, Glasgow was home to several whisky distilleries and 'whisky barons', businessmen who pioneered new products, built and shaped the landscape of the city. Among them was John Morrison, founder of the Queen's Dock who laid the foundations for Morrison Bowmore Distillers. In 2017, his ancestor Tim Morrison has opened one of the first malt whisky distilleries in Glasgow for over half a century.

Although the Clydeside Distillery is brand new and not currently producing any whisky yet (it takes three years to create a malt whisky) the doors are open to the public for tours to learn more about the history and the distillation process.

Our tour guide, Ronnie, was engaging, witty and definitely knew his whisky! The building is a bright, modern space with views of the Clyde and it retains the old stone of the Queen's dock and striking clock tower. It's a real joy to wander round, read and learn about the history surrounding Scotland's most famous tipple.

Even if you aren't a whisky fan, it's a fascinating and sensory experience. You might even be converted by the end of the tour, where you get an opportunity to sample 'Three Wee Drams' from across Scotland in a beautiful tasting room. And you get to keep your glass as a souvenir.

Ronnie guided us through the six steps of whisky tasting, encouraging us to take notes. There's a cute cafe offering delicious platters of home-grown produce and a gift shop, where you can take home your favourite whisky. You can even purchase bottles with personalised labels to commemorate a special occasion or trip.

Tours cost £15 for an adult and they run every hour on weekdays and every half hour on weekends. You can book online or buy tickets on arrival.

Combining history and tradition with innovation, the distillery brings new life to the banks of the River Clyde. It's a fitting tribute to the industrial, pioneering spirit of the city and an exciting vision for its future.

Ox and Finch, Finnieston's finest

Like most millennials my age, I am partial to a list. Every time someone says 'You NEED to watch (insert name of new and popular film/TV show)' I add it to my list. I also have a list for books and podcasts, and for restaurants too.

Living in Glasgow is great- there are so many new places opening up all the time (it feels relentless) and for the real gems you don't have to stick to the west end or city centre any more - there are super cool cafes, brunch spots and New York inspired eateries in Dennistoun, South of the river and beyond. Which can be tricky, especially if you're a foodie like me, you love a gimmick and you're a sucker for advertising and hype (guilty..)

Anyway, I've been meaning to try Ox and Finch in Finnieston for a while now. It's one of those places you only hear good things about, and it always crops up on the list of recommendations when people are looking for places to dine in Glasgow.

With so many options now it felt like a safe choice and I was excited to finally try it out over the weekend. It definitely didn't disappoint!

I was slightly wary of the 'small plates' approach to the menu - this can be hit or miss sometimes, but it really worked here. We went for five dishes between two and it was more than enough.

The scallops were melt in the mouth incredible (much like the courses to follow). I liked how they didn't bring everything at once which can sometimes be quite overwhelming.

Next was coley with chorizo and grilled chicory, followed by slow-cooked lamb shoulder with bulgur wheat, apricots and mint yoghurt. I think this one might have been my favourite, it was so good!

The braised pork cheek with polenta (which I recently discovered in Italy and now love) and salsa verde was divine too. Definitely worth a trip here for these two dishes alone!

I had a delicious South African semillon sauvignon with my dinner from a decent selection of reasonably priced drinks. I liked that I could order a carafe of my wine! Always good when you don't want a full bottle but a glass just won't cut it.

Before and after

For a special occasion, this place is such a winner. I'd definitely go back - it feels cool and modern and the food is just really tasty. I forgot to photograph the quirky toilets so you'll need to go there to see what I mean!

So next time you're in Finnieston, sipping on cocktails or having a pint in the Park Bar (either one works for pre-dinner drinks) consider Ox and Finch. Or, if you're in Edinburgh, BABA is their sister restaurant.

Hina Matsuri!

Today was the 16th annual Hina Matsuri - a celebration of Japanese culture held in Glasgow's West End. Since I love everything about Japan (one day... one day I will get there! Even if I have to get a job with a fishing rod manufacturer in Wishaw...) I was keen to go along and learn more. There was traditional Taiko drumming...

Origami....

Japanese Kanji...

And what better to follow a truly Japanese experience? Huevos Rancheros, of course! Big up to Vinyard 28 (soon to be new joint - The Parlour - watch this space) for the yummy brunch.

I also popped by one of my favourite shops in the West End, Wendy's Hoose, to stock up on the deliciously scented soy candles. Banana bried is the best!

On the Japanese theme, I have started reading Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami. Book review to follow!

Happy Saturday, all.

Reservoir walks

Jeans&tee - Topshop
Scarf - vintage
Trainers - Nike

Dinosaurs, pandas, butterflies and pigs

My weekend was full of variety of the natural world, so it would seem.

On Saturday I visited the exhibition at Kelvingrove Art Galleries: Hatching the Past: Dinosaur Eggs and Babies.

It was a lot of fun! I love dinosaurs and I found it fascinating and mind blowing to learn about the some of the amazing fossilized eggs that have been discovered.

There was also a chance to be a big kid and play around in the sand pretending to be an archaeologist, or a paleontologist looking through the microscope. And their were real life moving dinos!

For kids (of all ages) this is a great exhibition and I'd thoroughly recommend it. Entry is £5.

I was off work on bank holiday Monday, so I took a little trip to the South Side with some friends. We went for brunch at The Butterfly and the Pig, which was lovely.

The place is full of character, lots of nooks and crannies, big comfy sofas which make you feel like you're in your granny's front room, sheet music wallpaper, bric-a-brac and oddities all around. And the food didn't disappoint either - their all day breakfast menu is expansive! Big recommend for this one.

Since the weather was nice on Monday we decided to go for a walk around Queen's Park. We went to the glasshouse and found a chinchilla, some parrots and lizards. And a giant panda!

I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend - I'm excited that Summer is nearly here!

Golden sugar

Can we take a moment to appreciate just how beautiful this blush palette is?

I had a mini squeeling fit in Superdrug when I found this. The colour selection is amazing!

And the best part is it was only £6, My first Makeup Revolution product, and it definitely won't be my last!

Have you tried anything else from the range?