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#ETW17: Orange Pip Market

Last weekend (Saturday March 25) was my first experience of the outdoor market, on Baker and Bedford Street, Orange Pip Market.

For those of you who haven’t heard of this, Orange Pip Market happens once a month (should the weather allow) and it is a foodie’s heaven. There are plenty of food stalls selling food from across the globe, such as Italian pizza, German bratwurst and traditional Armenian flatbread, as well as the good British food such as Scotch Eggs and a carvery. Not only is there food, but there’s arts and music too, doesn’t that sound good?

I’ll take you through what I ate, which was a lot.

I started off with a vegan samosa, which was really good!

Then I went on to try some hot sauce. I chickened out of the super-hot sauce and went for the mild version which was just delicious and the vendor was a really funny guy who didn’t mind the fact that I was a wimp – or me taking a photo of him so I could get his t-shirts in the background.

My next stop was hot chocolate (with a little chat). Sprinkles did and amazing hot chocolate which was super smooth and just the right sweetness, they had homemade marshmallows with a few different flavours; I had to leave out the marshmallows (which they toasted with a blow-torch – talk about hardcore) but they did mention that they were looking into vegetarian options.

I had a little wander around the market, picking my next destination when I came across an authentic crepe stall, the guy who owned it was French, and spoke French to his customers in greeting etc. For a moment I felt like I was in France with this guy, he was very polite and allowed me to video him making the crepe, which was delicious.

I sat down to eat my crepe and started talking to two men who were very polite and gave me their thoughts on the market. They both loved the idea and were enjoying themselves a lot. I took a moment to enjoy the sun, because it couldn’t be Orange Pip Market without the sun, and went on my way.

The Clucking Pig Company sold me a vegetarian scotch egg which was so good, if a bit messy. I had a nice chat (as always) with the vendor and discussed social media. They are very active online and I was more than happy to tag them in a post. They’re from Redcar but have been down to London and even in the Houses of Parliament to sell their eggs. The sold goose and free range eggs too, which made me very happy.

I found a nice cheese stall – and I love cheese – where I tried quite a few different flavours of cheese (I went back at the end of my day to buy – didn’t want it melting in my bag) and talked to the vendor about cooking with these cheeses; top tip for lazy cooks: having the seasoning already in the cheese makes for a super easy sauce.

Cheese stall

I of course bought myself an Orange Pip mug for the office – I needed a new one and it seemed appropriate.

Orange Pip mug

I was informed weeks in advance that I could not go to this market without getting my face decorated, so that was what I did. I spoke to some lovely girls who decorated my face in gold leaf (not actual gold) and glitter. It looked amazing and stayed on until the evening, I’m still wondering what they used as a glue.

Emma face paint

I bought myself a brownie from Crumble and Slice, the owner’s mother told me they had brought 17 trays and had sold nearly all of them by the time I had got there.

Now, you can’t go to Bedford Street without going to Songbird Bakery, and that’s exactly what I did. Those talented girls had Easter cupcakes out and waiting for us and I loved it. I tried a mini eggs cupcake and holy guacamole was it good, those girls must have magic of some sort.

Songbird Bakery

One of my last stops was for pizza. I shared a stone-baked pizza with my sister (who turned up later on in the day) and boy was it good. The sauce was perfect and the cheese was amazing – did I mention that I love cheese- and quite frankly I haven’t had a better pizza yet. It was quick service and they were making them right there in front of us.

The music was utterly brilliant, I manged to hear two performers and they differed greatly in musical styles but both were talented and it was obvious that there was meant to be something for everyone.

I have to say, Orange Pip Market was a brilliant experience and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The security at the end of the streets were on the ball, not allowing anyone to take alcohol out of the street and also making sure everyone were safe, all the vendors were lovely people who were great to talk to and didn’t mind having photos taken all over the place, and it was a gorgeous day. It would have been a perfect day out for the family and I’m surprised at how little I actually ate, considering I was in two streets full of food.

Everyone I talked to really enjoyed the market and that spans a range of people. It was obvious from the wide range of vendors and performers that there was meant to be something for everyone to enjoy and the entire event looked very well organised. Kudos to the people who organised it and well done to all of the vendors for remaining happy and upbeat all day, even though it was probably very hot in a lot of those tents and very tiring.

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#ETW17: Breakfast/Brunch in Middlesbrough

Eating out is one of my favourite things to do, and I think most people can agree. But sometimes and evening meal is too much effort and lunch is too time consuming, which is exactly why breakfast is the best time to eat out. With America popularising Brunch (which is possibly the best idea to come out of that country after Oreos) I think that we need to talk about that too. The ever-present question is ‘Where?’ I’ll tell you where, and when, right here, right now.

We’re sticking within the centre of Middlesbrough so you don’t have so much choice you give up and eat toast and jam at home. Here’s the 15 places for you to fill your belly and boots on a morning (and doesn’t that sound like clickbait).

Café Roys

We’ll start here, with good old comfort food. The typical British fry up is exactly what you can expect from this place. Its prices are on the low side so it’s perfect for students with that god-awful headache looking for a grease fix as well as for families with young kids. A kid-friendly place with cheap prices, who could ask for more. Look down on Victoria Road for this one, and check out their Facebook.

Sandybells Café

Our next place is Sandybells Café on Bulmer Way. This is another place for the tradition English breakfast, very similar to Café Roys but with better parking access, remember all the places listed here are within walking distance of at least one of the carparks in Middlesbrough. They are Child-friendly and do takeout, so you can take your breakfast to work and make your colleagues jealous. It’s also waiter service so if you’re too tired to walk to the counter this is brilliant. Open Monday to Saturday 8am ‘till 3pm, is this the perfect place for you? They’re also on Facebook for all your questions.

The Swatters Carr

You can’t go to America and not go to a Fast Food Restaurant, and you can’t come to England without having a Pub meal; and breakfast is the best option. The Swatters Carr is super cheap but really tasty. Served from 8am until noon, their traditional breakfast is less than £3, bargain. They also served tea and coffee for less than £1, you can’t beat it. They don’t just do traditional, they have Veggie options, children’s breakfasts and American Pancakes (maybe you can eat American in England). They do have a few healthy options too, like Tropical fruit and Greek style honey. They’re waiting on Linthorpe Road for you, Monday to Sunday from 8am, serving breakfast ‘till noon.

The Star

Let’s look at another pub, honestly England’s full of them, and go to The Star (awesome name). Serving breakfast ‘till 3pm, this is possibly the best place to go. Their menu is limited for breakfast for you can take your meal away with you, so who can complain. This isn’t one for early risers though as they don’t start serving until 10am, I guess that’s student early though.

The Fork in the Road

The Fork in the Road is a special place in Middlesbrough with a great background. They use locally sourced ingredients and are doing everything they can to make Middlesbrough a better place. They do their best to help people back onto their feet and back into the world through their ‘programme designed to offer precious opportunities to those needing a helping hand’. They also have a great menu that strays from the traditional, going for higher end food and the food that’s good for you (and some that’s really, really not). They also offer unlimited coffee and wifi for just £5, can’t beat that. This is the perfect place for your brunch meeting, or just working outside the office, with food, and coffee, and free wifi. I think I’m working in the wrong place.

Café Zim

Café Zim is our healthy option- and yes you read that right…healthy *shudders*. For all I hate the healthy foods (chocolate all the way) I have to say that this menu looks good. With a healthy version of the Full English, 3 different types of eggs, sandwiches, oats and yoghurts, you really can’t go wrong. It’s cheap as well, with all breakfast options served below £8.00 (and you get a LOT of food for that money). Serving from 9am till 11am means you can go for a healthy brunch too. Much better than a McDonald’s breakfast, I have to say.

Bedford St Coffee

Saying this is my personal favourite would be unfair, but boy do they do good poached eggs. Bedford Street is parallel to Baker Street (where Café Zim lives) and both have recently undergone a total overhaul, bringing in new businesses which are awesome! This is the place for coffee lovers, they have the best coffee and some new ways of brewing –like the aeropress for example. Their menu isn’t the most extensive and is pretty sophisticated (for me anyway) so it’s not a place I’d recommend for kids to eat. If you just want to eat yourself and provide your child with a sweet treat and a drink, they always have a great range of delicious pastries and their white hot chocolate is the one drink your child will want to finish.  They’re breakfast options are served all day and they open from 8am so perfect for the early risers.

Cupeno Coffee

Another coffee house, coffee and breakfast seem to go together. Cupeno Coffee is child-friendly and just delicious. It’s the perfect start to the day and open from 7am so I guess they only see the kind of people who take 6am jogs. I’m kidding, people who take 6am jogs are too healthy for coffee. For those of you who love the different types of drink, they serve an amazing (if fattening) white hot chocolate, yum! They serve delicious pastries, toasties and paninis, just waiting for you to try. And with 10% student discount you really can’t complain.

The Good Food Joint

Another greasy breakfast place, but this time all day. They open from 6:30am (these times are getting earlier, how the owners get up this early I will never understand) and do the Full English, as promised. They’re also open match days with away fans welcome, let’s hope they know how to end a fight.

Goodbody’s Eaterie

Goodbody’s have a good range of options for your breakfast, from the greasy sausages and bacon to the healthy poached eggs with avocado on toast, they’ve got it all. They have plenty of Veggie options and are slowing bringing in more and more gluten free options… perfect! They are reasonably priced too and it’s a great atmosphere. Perfect for breakfast meetings. And open from 8am (getting back to normal times).

Yates

This is the one chain restaurant (pub) in this list and I have to say, I’m slightly ashamed of myself. This is, however, perfect for the fussy eater. You know you can rely on this place to be just as good as every other Yates you’ve been in. It’s the typical pub menu for breakfast (and lunch and dinner but we’re not talking about that) and it’s also great value. Breakfast is served until noon and there’s wifi, so you can’t complain about this one really.

Love Middlesbrough Lasses
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