SouthseaScene

This article appears in the Portsmouth View published 12 August 2016.  Portsmouth has become a real foodie paradise and no one is more pleased about it than me. I love food, not only in eating it, but also in creating meals. So living here is such a delight for me. The monthly farmers market on Palmerston Road is a must and the next one is on 21 August. It is the best place to find fresh local produce and stock up on delicious cakes, preserves or wines. Summer also means food festivals of which there are many you can find in this bustling city. We have just witnessed a Gin Festival in Portsmouth Guildhall, home also to beer festivals. In fact, make a note in your diary for the Octoberfest celebration there on 21 October. This weekend the Thai Food Festival in Castle Field, a regular feature on the summer calendar, will complement the Kite Festival nicely offering favourites such as pad-thai and fishcakes. Of course we also have the annual Southsea F...

Here's a copy of my article that appears in this month's Portsmouth View: Thinking of May always brings up images of the Maypole and country fete. St Mary’s Church May Fayre is one of my favourites. May is a good time to check out the farmers market offering local produce in abundance. In Southsea we are fortunate to have the monthly market on Palmerston Road. The farmers markets are complimented by the Love Southsea Markets which features many local crafts and artists. Have you tried a bar of ‘lemon soul’ soap by Southsea Bathing Hut? When the farmers market is not here, visit the Southsea Greenhouse located near Canoe Lake. It is a community garden built on a piece of derelict land. You can volunteer to do gardening activities such as planting, digging or pottering. You can also donate or barter produce from your garden with the Southsea Greenhouse. As the weather becomes warmer, it is also a good month for enjoying the many cafes in Southsea. Sit back, relax,...

Southsea has a monthly farmers market which I really love because Palmerston precinct where it's held becomes even more alive and buzzing. It is also a perfect opportunity to find some fresh or unusual local produce, that's not available in the local supermarkets. I also love meeting the vendors and chatting with them online, anticipating the next market. So I decided that I should really feature some of them on this page. Before the last market, I received a sweet tweet from @BubbleandMarita which prompted a conversation about bubble and squeaks, suitable toppings and the idea of this posting. So let me introduce you... Bubble& is a local street food phenomenon that has redefined bubble and squeak as we know it. They have created gourmet, gluten-free bubble and squeak cakes in a range of flavours that you can eat hot on their market stall with a soft poached egg, bacon and hollandaise sauce. They are so good, you may also want to take them home. So they have designe...