Think cheese and charcuterie and your thoughts turn to France. Think tapas and it's Spain. But now a new Bath bar is offering a British twist on these European classics says Emma Dance
Culture and Cure on Lansdowne Road (in the premises that used to be occupied by Grappa) is celebrating the best of Blighty, serving craft beers, meats and cheeses all hailing from Britain, as well as small tapas-style dishes made with British ingredients. And the house wine is not just British – but from Mumfords Vineyard in Bannerdown, just four miles from the centre of Bath.
It's the brainchild of Karen Cairns and Colin Phillips, who both have a background in the hospitality industry with Karen having run her own deli and Colin running restaurants and bars and working front of house.
Colin said: "Karen used to live in Bath and she wanted to come back here and she has a real love of cheese and charcuterie. Bath is so quintessentially British that we thought it made sense to do something that celebrated British produce.
"We have been importing charcuterie and cheese from the continent for years but actually there are people here doing wonderful things."
The result is a regularly changing selection, which could include Native Breeds Venison Salami or Tunworth Cheese, all served with Bertinet bread.
The drinks menu is also very much rooted in this country.
"The beers being made here are better than anything we can import," said Colin. "Wine can be tricky though. If it wasn't made here, then we have found something with a British link."
The craft beers on offer include Wild Beer Co, The Kernel and Wiper and True, as well as house brew made by the Bristol Beer Factory, and there's also an array of British ciders, spirits and soft drinks as well as a cocktail list made with British ingredients.
And despite Colin's reservations there's more than a good showing of British wines on the list. The house white from Mumfords is eminently quaffable, and there's an extensive list of British bubbles if you're looking for something a bit more special.
Heading up the kitchen is young chef Henry Scott who comes from Claude Bosi's two-Michelin-starred Hibiscus in Mayfair.
"Henry really drives the menu forward," said Colin. "He has experience of working around the world and he's bringing that to the dishes, while still keeping them rooted in Britain."
The tapas dishes on offer include oysters encased in a crisp beer batter with a more-ish watercress mayonnaise, melt-in-the-mouth beef shin with a little choux bun filled with sharp mustard royale, nutty Jerusalem artichokes covered in oats and a lighter than air potato mousseline.
From around £4 a plateful (with most coming in at around the £5/6 mark) they are not cheap, but they are utterly delicious.
Henry creates all the dishes from the small kitchen on the second floor, which looks over the cosy restaurant area complete with retro cocktail bar, and on the third floor, Colin and Karen have created a haven of relaxation with a cinema room and comfy sofas.
Culture and Cure may be off the beaten path in terms of tourists and passing trade, but Colin and Karen believe that the quality and unique nature of their offering will be enough to entice people up the hill.
"Finding the right place was tricky," said Colin.
"We wanted something that was a bit out of the centre, a destination I guess, somewhere that people will seek out.
"I think people who want great British cheese and charcuterie and tapas will make the effort, and I hope that if people find us once they will come back.
"It's up to us to make it special."
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