Delicious UK - (01)January 2020

Make 2020 the year you

try something new

NEW BEGINNINGS

BE COOL (WITH YOUR TEA)

Tea expert Henrietta

Lovell founded the

Rare Tea Company

in 2004. Here’s her

advice for mastering

cold-brewtea

Giving your liver a night off from

booze doesn’t have to be a hardship

[see p72 for more ‘dry January’

inspiration]. For more than a decade

I’ve been pairing top quality iced tea

with dishes at the best restaurants

in the world – from Momofuku in

New York, to Noma in Copenhagen

and Claridges in London. Iced tea

is easy, tastes great and can be

prepped the day before. Here’s

how to do it...

OAs with any other ingredient, use

good quality tea for the best results

OUse loose-leaf tea rather than

bags, which often contain bleach,

glue and nanoplastics

OPut the tea in a jug, pour over cold

water, then leave to infuse in the

fridge overnight. Cold water will

result in flavourful tea that’s not

bitter or rapidly oxidised, which

happens if you use hot water initially

OGet the right amount of leaf to

water: 6g tea per litre for green and

white tea; 12g per litre for black teas

OAfter infusing the cold tea

overnight, strain and serve: easy!

Infused: Adventures in Tea by Henrietta

Lovell (Faber & Faber £14) is out now

WHICH ONE? Route, Newcastle-upon-

Tyne routenewcastle.co.uk

£35 (three-course dinner excluding drinks)

WHERE? In the city’s lively Quayside area,

a hop and a skip from the Tyne Bridge.

WHO? Chef-owner John Calton divides his time between

Route and his North Shields pub The Staith House.

THE SETTING Narrow and deep with a relaxed, urban

vibe, whitewashed brick walls and bistro furniture.

THE DISHES Seasonal plates showcase local fish

and nose-to-tail meat. Seared gurnard with spicy fish

soup or bone marrow toast with sticky ox cheek,

celeriac and horseradish precede a main of grilled

halibut with roast chicken butter sauce or saddle of

venison with salt-baked swede. The early-bird set

menu, at £20 for three courses, won’t make a massive

dent in the post-Christmas finances, either.

VERDICT There’s a relaxed, informal feel to this

place that will make you want to linger longer,

perhaps to try a few more dishes or a second bottle.

In association with The Good Food Guide. The Good Food

Guide 2020 (£17.99) is out now. Available in Waitrose stores,

online at thegoodfoodguide.co.uk and in good bookshops.

VISIT A NEW RESTAURANT