Cardiff Marriott and River Cottage in partnership

The display featuring muddy carrots is not something you usually see in a hotel restaurant. Another clue as to what’s occurring are the shelves of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall books. We are in Zest, the restaurant at Cardiff Marriott, to sample the new menu created in partnership with River Cottage.

People increasingly like to know where their food comes from and how it is produced. In responding to diners’ interest in the provenance of their food, Zest has teamed up with Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage: an organization built around locally-sourced, ethically and sustainably produced, seasonal food.

Cardiff is one of only two Marriott Hotels to trial the partnership. If successful, it will be rolled out to more of Marriott’s other 50 UK hotels. The goals the partnership has set are ambitious ones.

For the menu, Marriott is committing to increase the use of local food, produced within a 60 mile radius of the hotel, to 80%. In Cardiff, Marriott is lucky. There is a wealth of Welsh food producers to choose from. The produce sourced for the menu so far includes meat from Graig Farm and Slade Farm, fish and shellfish from Gower Coast Seafood and E. Ashton, eggs from Farmhouse Freedom Eggs, cheese and dairy products from Calon Wen and Abergavenny Fine Foods, and vegetables from the Welsh Box Scheme and Ty Mawr Organic.

Because the menu is seasonal, the menu will change frequently. Daily changes are expected, so even regulars will find something different to order.

The amount of food wastage in the catering industry generally can be pretty shocking. Marriott’s are here committing to further reducing food wastage from their current low level of 5%.

By improving sustainability practices, Marriott’s hopes to improve its Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) rating in the two hotels trialling the partnership with River Cottage.

All the meat and vegetables on the menu will be organic, with the chicken also being free-range, and the fish and shellfish sustainably-sourced.

The partnership has involved staff from Marriott Cardiff taking part in training courses at River Cottage’s recently launched Chefs’ School, to acquire new skills relating to sustainable food procurement and other areas that complement their catering industry expertise.

On the table, the rosemary bread was very fresh, and there was a sprig of rosemary on the table (impossible not to pinch and smell). We started with ‘Parsley Salad’ and ‘Squash & Goat Cheese Salad’. Parsley was a feature of my salad, but the main interest was the crab meat, accompanying soft-boiled egg, and the intense anchovies hidden underneath. Crisp thin-sliced beetroot was the unannounced star of the other colourful salad.

For Mains, I opted for ‘Slow Cooked Organic Graig Farm Brisket’, served with anchovy and rosemary potato gratin and red wine sauce; the meat melted in the mouth. My partner had the ‘Slade Farm Lamb’, with mashed celeriac, chilli and thyme. The lamb had a subtle barbeque flavour.

The other vegetables, ordered as sides, were ‘Honey Glazed Carrots’ and ‘Kale, Chilli and Fennel Seeds’. The carrots had a wonderful intense flavour and looked great – orange, white and purple. The fennel on the kale produced a sensational effect, though the chilli was a little heavy for our taste in this context.

With sides this was not ‘small plate’, but rather ‘three good things on a plate’ (the title of one of Hugh’s books).

I’m afraid that for the ample puddings we opted for exotic options, with some ingredients what were probably not grown around Cardiff. My ‘Sticky Date Pudding’ came with homemade vanilla ice cream, and my partner’s ‘Almond and Orange Pudding’ came with a slice of pear cooked in red wine as well as the ice cream. However, a warm beetroot brownie, and apple and cherry crumble with custard, were also on the menu.

Local wine and beers are available, although they were not listed on the main wine and drinks menu. We had a bottle of Glyndwr 2012, a medium dry white wine produced on a vineyard established in 1982 by the Norris family in Llanbleddian, near Cowbridge, in the heart of the Vale of Glamorgan.

Generally, the local and seasonal approach can help produce a coherent menu, where fresh food items are used in different ways throughout to create a satisfying dining experience that also celebrates and supports local growers and artisan producers.

Zest actively encourages locals to join hotel guests in their dining room.


Marriott Cardiff: http://www.marriott.co.uk

River Cottage: http://www.rivercottage.net


All food and drink consumed was kindly provided by Marriott Cardiff.

Mill Lane and Wyndham Arcade, Cardiff

The Food Blog was last on Mill Lane  / Lon Y Felin in September 2011, when we noted the changing nature of its eating establishments. In recent years, it has been out with the French bistro and traditional Italian, and in with South American cuisine and Hawaiian cocktails. This is Cardiff’s Café Quarter. It comes into its own during the summer, when the outside tables under the trees are bustling.

On the corner of St Mary Street and Mill Lane:

Peppermint Bar & Kitchen

63 St Mary Street CF10 1FE (2039 9199)

Peppermint opened in August 2011 (taking over from Zync in this corner location). It’s an independent party, drinks and food venue on two-floors (with another one in Swansea). The food menu offers a wide range of light dishes, and there’s a late-night bar. Outside seating on pedestrianized Mill Lane.

The Mocka Lounge

1-2 Mill Lane CF10 1FL (2022 1292)

The mocka lounge is a café and nightclub. It opened in 2009 and serves food, lunches and light bites until 7pm. Cocktails a speciality. Open until the early hours.

Sushi Bento

3 Mill Lane CF10 1FL

Opened in 2012 Sushi Bento is a restaurant and take-away offering bento-style Japanese street food. This location was formerly occupied by Flavour Eurasia.

Soda Lounge

4 Mill Lane CF10 1FE (2039 8380)

This large bar and nightclubbing party venue is part of the Le Monde complex, which also fronts onto St Mary Street. A ground floor lounge (comfy seats) and bars on several levels, including a roof terrace (and exclusive Attic bar). Some food served, especially for parties. The original Soda Bar operated on St Mary Street from 2002 to 2008.

Retro Lounge

7 Mill Lane CF10 1FL (2039 8380)

The Retro Lounge is the “home of the 90’s vibe”. A place to party and drink cocktails, rather than eat and, I can’t lie to you, it's also the “home of Stacey’s Hen Night”.

The next shop (Cardiff Bridal Centre) sells wedding dresses.

Las Iguanas

8 Mill Lane CF10 1FL (2022 8373)

This was the first Cardiff location for the Bristol-based chain (with another in Cardiff Bay). Las Iguanas’ Latin American cuisine offers something different and has become very popular in Cardiff. Menu features Mexican classics, popular Brazilian dishes, grilled sandwiches and salads. There are popular dishes from other Latin American countries and special nights featuring the cuisine of particular countries. Cocktails (seemingly obligatory on Mill Lane) and pitchers of Sangria are popular.

The next shop (Private) sells sex aids.

It looks a little sad and out of sorts today, but The Private Shop was here in pre-Internet times (when shops like this were the main outlet for porn) and therefore it pre-dates all the bars and restaurants around it. Private was here when the area opposite (now a Marriott Hotel) was an outdoor vegetable market, recalls Peter Finch in Real Cardiff who describes the contents of its shelves (p. 70), and nearby was “the infamous rock and blues Moon Club.”

Juboraj

10 Mill Lane CF10 1FL (2037 7668)

Juboraj Indian Restaurant in the Café Quarter is part of the local family-owned Juboraj group, serving high-end Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine. They have been in Cardiff for around 20 years, with establishments also in Rhiwbina and Lakeside, and most recently in the Big Windsor building in Cardiff Bay. The Mill Lane restaurant has undergone an extensive refurbishment recently, to bring it up to standard. An extensive menu of classic and authentic Indian cuisine.

Aura (“dedicated underground music venue”) opened in 2012 and is now shut. The adjacent The Ladybird Lounge nightclub opened in 2011 (upstairs 10 Mill Lane). The latter’s advert boasts: “as featuring in The Valleys.” You have been warned.

Kapu

11 Mill Lane CF10 1FF (2066 5500)

Kapu Exotic Cocktail Bar and Island Grill opened in June 2012, and as one of the year’s most radical refurbishments. The previous outlet, operated by same owners, was Gios Italian restaurant. The food menu in Kapu focuses on grilled steaks and chicken, ribs, burgers, fish and shrimps; with tofu skewers for vegetarians. Kapu is Hawaiian for forbidden; other Hawaiian phrases and pineapple chunks characterize the menu. Palm tree décor completes the Hawaiian theme; in case you missed it.

Opposite, just beyond Carluccio’s at the end of the Library Building:

Marriot Hotel

Mill Lane CF10 1EZ (2039 9944)

The Cardiff Marriot is a four-star hotel in a prime location, handy for the railway station and the restaurants of the Café Quarter. The main dining location is the Centrale brasserie. Chats downstairs has an outside terrace and is promoting sharing platters and sparkling wine for the Café Quarter crowds this summer.

The Library Building has three eateries on the ground floor. These are also listed as St David’s Centre restaurants (in the centre’s information), but here they will be considered as part of Mill Lane:

Carluccio’s

16 Mill Lane (3 Library Building) CF10 1FL (2023 2630)

Carluccio’s Caffe is a deli and café. This Italian food venture was started by celebrity chef Antonio Carluccio. It is the only Carluccio’s in Wales. Pasta is the big thing here (not pizza), with other features of the menu including the risotto of the day, fish dishes (e.g., fish soup, pan-fried sea bass) and meat dishes (e.g., slow-cooked beef stew, Milanese-style chicken, veal). Open for breakfast. I left with some olive bread and chocolate brownies last time I visited the shop. Events held here include pasta and risotto making classes, and wine tasting evenings.

Gourmet Burger Kitchen

15 Mill Lane (2 Library Building) CF10 1FL (2066 8379)

gbk was ahead of the game on the gourmet burger trend, but has now lost some of its usp as gourmet and posh burgers are everywhere. Interesting options include Persian lamb, Wild boar, Avocado bacon, and Blue cheese; though ordering the Bunless burger is probably an indication that you’re in the wrong place. The kids enjoyed it here more than I did, with the milkshakes proving popular. There is another gbk in Cardiff Bay.

Wagamama

14 Mill Lane (1 Library Building) CF10 1EX (2064 1564)

I like the refectory tables and ethos of Wagamama. The food does not seem as economical as it used to be back in the day, but the free green tea helps keep the bill down (and it’s just the thing). Large bowls of ramen noodles have always been the staple, but I’ve been exploring other areas of the menu. On my last visit I went for the Teriyaki chicken donburi: teriyaki-glazed chicken in a bowl on sticky rice, with shaving carrot, water cress, spring onions and sesame seeds on top; served with a fresh crunchy hot relish. Some of the dishes can be surprisingly spicy (in a good way). There is another Wagamama in Cardiff Bay. Take-away can be ordered. The Wagamama Lounge is touring Bestival festivals this summer.

On the corner is the entrance to the main Cardiff Library; head up to the fourth floor for the Food and Drink book section. Outside is Jean-Bernard Metais’s impressive sculpture Alliance, with its circle and spike elements. Peter Finch was responsible for the concrete poetry underneath: twelve historical ways of spelling Cardiff.

Back on the main stretch of Mill Lane, next to Kapu:

ASK Italian

28-32 Wyndham Arcade CF10 1FJ (2034 4665)

ASK Italian restaurant is on the sharp corner of Mill Road and Wyndham Arcade. A 2012 rebrand (with Italian being added to the name) involved a new menu devised with the help of the Theo Randell. Seems a few of the Italian chains are taking these steps to become more distinctive in a crowded marketplace. At first, pizzas on a plank, Frutti di Mare stew, Panzanella, and Sicilian-style gelati; though may have toned the novelty down a notch by now. Good list of imported Italian wines.

Wyndham Arcade was built in 1887 to a design by J.P. Jones. It runs at an angle between St Mary Street and Mill Lane. In Real Cardiff Three (p. 69), Peter Finch describes a throughfare that once housed fruit and veg stalls and an army surplus store. Walk towards St Mary Street: on your left, after Havana House (tobacconists stocking plenty of cigars) and The Bear House (there's a stuffed bear in there somewhere).

Servini’s

6-10 Wyndham Arcade CF10 1FJ (2039 4054)

Servini’s has been in this location for 16 years (after 15 years around the corner in St Mary Street). It’s a family-run business, currently owned by Melvyn Bishop. Servini’s is particularly noted for its large breakfasts; also lunch (e.g., hot baguettes, pasta dishes, salads, and burgers). Seating inside and outside along the covered arcade.

Kiwis

55 St Mary Street CF10 1FE (2039 8965)

Bar encountered when we walked down St Mary Street, where it has its front door. Kiwis used to be in a smaller location in the middle of Wyndham Arcade.

Walk back along the arcade. On the other side, past Rebel Rebel (tattoo parlour and lots of alternative stuff, including those pottery dragons my sister likes):

Bill’s

27-39 Wyndham Arcade CF10 1FH (2023 1524)

Bill’s Restaurants have their origin in London’s Covent Garden and retain a market feel. You first enter a shop section that sells a range of products (e.g., relishes, cooking sauces). Breakfasts are a popular option here. Varied lunch menu encompasses burgers, skewers, mezze plate, salads and plenty of puddings. Meat can be swapped for halloumi for vegetarian options. I ate here last year and thought there was a bit of a mismatch between the rustic image and the fussy food we were served (e.g., very small mussels in a very small pot). There are now over a dozen Bill’s around the UK, owned by restaurant entrepreneur Richard Caring.