I am pleased to report that having graduated a good number of years ago now, gone are the days where a student budget dictates where I eat. We’re lucky enough to be able to eat out a couple of times in a month, without it resulting in beans on toast for the following two. On one hand, our blog is aimed at like-minded people, who are willing to pay the extra for gourmet food. On the other hand, we’re not naïve enough to think that everyone is able to eat like that, or would even want to.

So, when the Coventry branch of buffet chain COSMO asked us to give them a go, we decided to be open-minded. There might be something in it, we thought.


Now, I have to mention that we were not COSMO virgins. We had visited the chain individually in our student days, and a couple of years ago we ate there together. The only word for that occasion is ‘shambolic’. The details are vague in my memory now, but the service in particular sticks out as being disordered and sloppy. Bland food (apart from the Indian, which has always been pretty good actually), sticky tables, and rude staff culminated in me announcing to Mark that I was done with “world buffets”, and I would never darken COSMO’s doorway again.

Our invitation from COSMO actually came off the back of an unsuccessful visit from the EHO in March. The Coventry Telegraph really let them have it. The public took to social media, and claims of food poisoning started rolling in (it couldn’t possibly be that you were already full 1/3 of the way round the buffet and still you kept on gorging yourself, could it?).

This was a challenge. We wanted to be proved wrong. We wanted our previous views to be dashed. And we wanted to see the kitchen before we ate anything.

We were welcomed to the restaurant by the new General Manager, Danny. Our request to see behind the scenes took him aback at first, but he was very accommodating. He gave us a tour of both the front of house, and also the upstairs kitchens that normal customers never see. Not a rat in sight. In fact, the kitchens seemed very organised, considering the amount of food on offer; clean, and surprisingly spacious, with dedicated areas for each cuisine.

EHO officers are notoriously harsh, and so they should be. To get the boring stuff out of the way, before we talk about the food, ultimately COSMO’s fall to a ‘1’ rating came from crap management. When your kitchen is primarily made up of young students, you need to kick some ass to get procedures followed. Head chef leaves, manager is useless, staff get lazy, things don’t get done. Simple. Not an excuse to let your business nose-dive, but an explanation none-the-less. We were satisfied that COSMO had addressed these issues and our digestive health was not at risk.

So, the important stuff. The food.

Much of it is as we remember - lots of beige, fried and baked elements along the first half of the buffet. A beautiful but bland sushi counter. A couple of interesting and more appetising elements in between.

The more recent introduction of options like a roast dinner and mushroom soup jarred with us. We just didn't get it. A world buffet restaurant in a UK city, to us, should cater to anything BUT the classic British roast dinner. We discussed this openly with manager Danny, however, and he explained that COSMO's objective is to cater to as wide a range of clientele as possible, some of whom turn up very much in the mood for plain meat and two veg. Especially on a Sunday. Fair point. We must remain objective here. (But seriously, if you go out for a meal at a restaurant dishing up cuisines from around the world and you opt for gammon and peas, !?*~#%!!?)

The best elements at COSMO, if you're a foodie, lie in the live cooking stations: the Teppanyaki and Noodle bars. I'd personally never tried them before, but it seemed like our best bet. We opted for steak and squid from the Teppanyaki, which the chef cooked with great skill and panache. Lots of sizzling and fire, tossing of seasoning and clashing of spatulas - worth it just for the show. Plus, may we remind you, you paid £15 for your entire meal and the man is cooking you a sirloin, exactly how you asked for it, right in front of your eyes.


We had a mixed chicken and seafood udon dish from the Noodle Station, which again was very enjoyable to watch, and one of the best things we ate. Eating at a place like COSMO - which if you want it to be, can be awfully bland - I think it's down to the customer to be braver, and take advantage of these options.

It might also surprise you, as it did us, to discover that they actually have in-house tandoor and pizza ovens, and they make the dough for the likes of pizza and naans from scratch. This wins points with us, because we're massive pizza lovers and dough-dorks. I think a lot of us make the assumption that because these buffet restaurants are priced low, so the skill and quality must be too. Granted, their margins can't allow for everything to be hand-made on site, but it's good to know that a lot of it is.

The desserts we tried were average, but once you've taken on so much savoury, who really cares? It's an exciting area for kids, with enough to choose from and in small portions to limit wastage. We thought the addition of popcorn and ice-cream machines were cool, but it's a shame the ice-cream machine handle keeps getting snapped off. I'd have liked to try some (it was out of order when we were there).


There were a few labelling issues, in terms of accuracy and readability. For instance, if the signage for the Teppanyaki was larger and instructions simpler, I think customers would be more likely to use it. Better than that, it would be great if the person seating customers could ask them "Have you eaten with us before?" and give them a run-down of how the counters work. The English of some of Coventry COSMO's counter staff is very basic, so it should be the job of those team members that can engage the customers, to do so.


Overall, they've made a vast improvement to the restaurant since our previous visit, both in terms of aesthetics and service. The new management looks to be competent and enthusiastic, and we hope this continues to spread to the rest of the team. Looking around while we were there, the other patrons seemed to be having a really good time, and isn't that the real point of a high street joint like COSMO? They want to create an enjoyable group experience that caters to everyone's tastes - from your partner who loves a curry, to your toothless great aunt who only sups mushroom soup, and your sister's kid whose diet consists of 80% bread-crumbed food.

A buffet-format restaurant might not be our first choice of eatery, but we won't be so quick to make our excuses the next time someone invites us to a birthday meal at COSMO. We'll head straight for the Indian and the noodle station.

N.B. We were invited by COSMO to dine with them and give honest feedback. The meal was complimentary, however all opinions are our own.

In my youth, an elderly gentleman once informed me that I should drink less gin as it was a depressant. Idiot. Although, in his defence he was completely justified in opining that, "cider on beer d' make you feel queer." One out of two is a fair average.

In those days few of us knew any better than a bottle of London dry and your basic schweppes' tonic water (or sometimes diluted with a pint of Somerset's finest). The last ten years has seen a huge revival in the gin industry. It's artisan these days. The copper stills are steam punk beauty, the bottling is pretty and the flavours are modern and crisp. Even the hipsters are taking a break from grooming their beards, to sip on a G&T. Not since the gin craze of the 1700's has gin been so popular. Only difference is, this time around it tastes good.

Every day seems to see a previously unheard of juniper infusion advertised in my inbox. What all these new producers (and the old hands) need is an event to showcase their wares, an opportunity for hundreds of thirsty punters to try several concoctions and find their new favourite tipples.

Well there is one.


We’ve been meaning to get ourselves to Gin Festival for a long time. Various people we know have been to events all around the country, raved about them to us, and still we’ve never managed to schedule it in. And we love gin.

Then a few months ago, we found out that the very first Coventry Gin Festival was going to take place, in the fantastic Cathedral Ruins. We’ve been to a couple of other foodie events at the venue, and as it’s just a short trip to town, this time we committed (prompted by a couple of our Gin Festival veteran friends).

We arrive to a very impressive and sympathetic set-up at the Cathedral. The main event takes place in a massive white marquee, with the four main bars set up back-to-back in the middle. The roof is clear plastic, letting in plenty of early evening light and allowing for a view of the historic walls and spires surrounding the tent. Around the edges are the brand, cocktail and tuck bars, gift shop, band stage and seating. It’s cosy, but not rammed. It’s a strictly ticketed event, and we felt that capacity was spot on for a bustling vibe without feeling like you’re never going to get your turn at the bar.


Upon entry, you’re guided through a smaller tent, where you’re presented with your own Gin Festival branded Copa balloon glass, pouch, brochure, pen, and pin badge. The bars operate a token system, which keeps it simple. Each token is worth £5, which gets you a measure of gin, garnish, and a Fever-Tree mixer. Two tokens will buy you a cocktail.

To avoid free-fire ordering, which could prove costly both to the wallet and to the hangover, it is advisable to peruse the "menu" - a booklet provided in the ticket price, listing all the available gins, their flavour profiles, and suggested garnish and mixers (the full spectrum of Fever-Tree's creations is available) - completely invaluable if one wants to know what one is about to drink, or record one's musings during.

We went as a group, so all selected different gins and sampled one another's - a good way to quadruple your gin tally.



Once alcohol to blood ratios were nicely raised, we attended one of the presentations delivered by a guest gin, inside the new cathedral. Slightly concerned that being chatted at about the glory of juniper berries, by a tweed-suited octogenarian might prove a bit of a downer at 10PM on a boozy evening, we went in, prepared to fall asleep. Fortunately, Brockmans Gin had thought about this, and sent a far more youthful man in jeans. A very entertaining man no-less, not to mention a free-gin bearing man. So, half an hour later, having learned a little more gin parlance, we were still merry and still able to manfully carry on sipping.


As the festival shuts up shop at 11PM, all remaining coupons were gathered up and invested into the cocktail bar. To be completely honest, the cocktail bar is probably a bit unnecessary. The event would not be short of refreshments without it. The drinks are passable, but does a exhibition of over one hundred exciting liquors really require a purveyor of average cocktails?

It was at this point that we realised we were too late to sample the on-site eateries (tragic, as there were tantalising wafts of braised beefy odours on the breeze).

Over post festival drinks in town, we concluded that in future (and there will be a future. Far too good a concept and far too many potions left untasted) we would be sure to attend another talk, try more gins and in essence do what we did, but better. The only problem with the Gin festival is us. We just can't physically drink enough.

N.B. We had already bought our tickets to Gin Festival, however the organisers got in touch to offer us some free drinks tokens to get us started. All opinions are our own.

Last week we fought through the mid-week torrential downpours and diabolic City Centre rush-hour traffic to try out Wagamama’s new summer menu, along with a group of other local bloggers at the Birmingham Bullring. We don’t really eat at chains, and having not visited the Japanese restaurant in a few years, we were curious to find out what they were up to.

Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted and seated, with introductions to the front of house and Regional Development Chef for London, Craig Beavors. He took us through the menu and what we could expect over the evening, briefly describing the new dishes and affirming that none of us had any allergies or objections. Bellies growling at the ready, we didn’t have to wait long for the first course to arrive.



We kicked off with Beef Tataki – a light starter of thinly sliced seared beef, chilled, and dressed with citrus ponzu, chilli, Japanese mayo and pickled beetroot. We were advised by Craig to top each slice with a few strands of beetroot, roll them up, and eat. As lovers of beef, we thought this was a solid starter – simple ingredients, punchy flavours, and nicely presented.


Neither of us would normally order fish when eating out, especially if presented with alternatives such as duck, beef or pork, but we were pleasantly surprised by the next two courses: Seared Nuoc Cham Tuna Steak on a bed of quinoa and stir-fried kale, and Grilled Bream Donburi. The tuna steak was a firm favourite amongst the guests, many of whom had never eaten rare tuna before. The sustainably-sourced tuna meat was of high quality and perfectly seasoned, with a soft, melting texture. I would never pick out anything served with the dreadfully clean-sounding combination of kale and quinoa, but honestly, I would eat this dish again. It’s perfect for summer and would pair nicely with a quality, crisp white wine.
The Donburi was really tasty but in many ways for me, didn’t quite nail the summer theme. Donburi to me, is comfort food. The bream was good, with a lovely crispy skin, and the crunchy vegetables, kimchee, and glass of Pinot Grigio went some way to making it a bit fresher, but ultimately I would opt for something else on a summer’s day.


Finishing the mains, was the new Samla Curry (of Cambodian origin, I believe - both chicken and tofu options on the menu), and the unctuous Sticky Pork Belly. Before that, though, chef Craig did me a solid by making me my very own course of Chicken Katsu Curry after I admitted that I had never eaten it before (really!). It was delicious, and it’s pretty obvious why the general public go mad for this stuff (Japanese, better presented equivalent of KFC?), but as foodies, we’re always in the market for something more complex.

We got this complexity with the Samla Curry. I don’t think we’ll ever be tofu converts, but the chicken variation was bang on. Perfect amount of heat – the kind that makes you salivate – with notes of fragrant lemon grass and cooling coconut, garnished with chilli and spring onion. They also use chicken thigh, rather than breast meat for the Samla, which has a much better flavour. The Pork Belly is another flavoursome dish, but be warned – it’s bloody rich! (Again, maybe better suited to cooler weather?) Both the Samla and the Pork Belly were served with Wagamama’s own brilliant craft beers – the Kikku and the Kansho, in that order – and they were great pairings. The wines of the evening were pretty standard, but the beers were excellent. Sadly, but understandably, you can only get them in-house at Wagamama restaurants (otherwise I’d have ordered a few cases!).


Dinner was completed with a selection of desserts. We had to admit that we had never eaten from, or indeed even seen, the dessert menu at Wagamama before. In the past, we’ve been too full of savoury to bother. The Lemongrass & Lime Sorbet was really lovely, however. It had a zingy, sherbet flavour and was a perfect palette cleanser. The Chocolate Layer Cake and Yuzu & Lemon Tart we tried were nice, but we felt that they weren’t as accomplished as the rest of the menu.


To complete the evening, under the chef’s mischievous eye, we had the option to sample a weird concoction from the kitchen: vanilla ice cream with katsu curry sauce. It wasn’t for everyone, and you can only really make up your mind once you’ve tried it, but I won’t lie – I had more than one spoonful.

Although Wagamama is fundamentally a franchise, their dishes are largely based on fresh ingredients, cooked quickly. Sourcing high quality ingredients, developing their menu, and focussing on front of house, allows them to offer "fast food" but in a more nutritious, more delicious, more enjoyable format than most of their competitors.

We were really quite impressed by the Summer menu. I don’t think we’ll leave it so long before we drop by next time.

N.B. We were invited by Wagamama to try their new summer menu. Our meal was complimentary, however all opinions are our own.

For the final instalment on our time in Rye, we had to talk about Knoops.

We were advised by our host at the Rye Windmill that the most amazing hot chocolate could be found at the opposite end of town, if we happened over there during the weekend. We left the B&B with an hour to kill before dinner on the first night, and having not forgotten our host's words, we made a b-line for Knoops, incapable of waiting a day to try this mythical cocoa café. (Plus, it had been at least a few hours since our last sugar fix..)

Situated just the other side of the historic Landgate, Knoops sits unassumingly, the smallest and last of a row of old brick dwellings. The signage is clean and graphic; black sans serif text on a large white awning, and a sandwich board clearly stating "PURVEYORS OF THE FINEST HOT CHOCOLATE". We enter.

It's immediately different to the other twee cafés and vintage tea rooms about town. Knoops is modest and functional. Minimal furnishing and decoration mean that there is absolutely no distraction from the centre piece: the chocolate menu. A feature wall lined with clipboards setting out the huge array of cocoa percentages and flavour notes available for your delectation. It's fascinating, and to a stranger, slightly intimidating.

Luckily, the friendly purveyor of finest hot chocolate himself, Jens Knoop, is there to help you out. Whether you're a cacao connoisseur or a total novice, with some gentle probing he can suss you out and suggest the perfect hot chocolate for your taste. And there is something for every taste.



You can have your drink pure, with a chocolate spectrum ranging from a hardcore 100% dark Madagascan, through to the 60 and 70%s, where you will find superb single origin chocolates (the São Tomé is amazing!); down to a dreamy milk chocolate blend at 34%, and for those with a really sweet tooth, the creamy white hot chocolate options around 30%. All the chocolates are wonderful as they are, served in drinking bowls with hot, frothing milk artistically poured over. If you're feeling like experimenting, however, you can play around with a variety of flavour additions; spices, fruit zests, salts and peppers, or a shot of espresso (or booze!).

Some of their recommended flavour blends are available to buy in store to take home, or you can purchase online over on their recently opened Etsy shop. Nothing beats actually being there, but if you have a milk frother, you can have a go at recreating the magic for yourself: a small comfort as Jens hands you your final hot chocolate of the weekend, this time to take away, and you hop in your car to begin the 3 hour journey home to the Midlands.

See you soon, Knoops!