2014 Resolutions

A New Year's Resolution is a challenge to yourself to achieve something that you don't really want to do - or that you do want to do, but don't think that you can.

That's enough philosophy for any one blog - so let's talk about something that can be achieved with minimal effort: Getting together with friends for great times. 

As we take no greater pleasure than sharing a meal and drinks with our chums - we hereby resolve to do it even more than we did last year.

We hope that this little thought inspires you to do likewise - and that we hope that at least some of these excursions will lead you to our door in 2014.

Christmas. It takes some thinking about...

It's so easy to plan to do stuff - and never get around to it. 

We hope that you will make it in to see us at some point over the festive period, especially as we heard from a very reliable contact that you deserve some pamper time...

Booking a table for food, or just cocktails, isn't vital but is worth doing to avoid disappointment at peak times.

Don't forget that we're doing New Year's Eve Eve on the 30th. This is designed for people who can't get a baby sitter on NYE, who for people who will be working on the big night. And - yes - we will be doing the full midnight thing!

Space is also available for Christmas Eve and the real New Year's Eve too - but book soon, we're only little.

Have a happy time - whatever you get up to this Christmas!

Bob_bones, who are you?

Just imagine having had a week battling with overflowing boilers from the flats above flooding our toilets - only to then find that SOMEONE HAS PUT US ONTO TRIP ADVISOR!

We love our customers, we love it even more when they tell their friends about us - and we're often told that they decide only to tell some of their friends...

It's our own fault. We should never have allowed ourselves to bask in the glory of our customers having decided to keep our little secret to some close friends - instead of sharing us with the entire chuffin' world!

Never mind. There's nothing we can do about it. There's work to be done, so it's time to move on.

No hard feelings Bob - we still love you.

Snap Happy

In the news this week - we have had a photo shoot for Beluga vodka (which is an extremely palatable premium Russian vodka), we've been perfecting a sticky toffee pudding dessert, we've come up with a warm fruit salad that uses heated sweet chilli sauce instead of orange juice, and we are turning our heads to the festive season - and all that it brings....

In other news....our steaks are as delicious as ever! (although we would be interested in growing our selection of mains for veggies from one to..more than one. As we're all big meaties we need some suggestions. Remember to think outside the box - it's no fun if it's like everywhere else.)

Hallowe'en

Don't get us wrong - Hallowe'en is great fun. But there's a time and a place...

This week we will instead be getting all excited about Cognac. We have some good stuff, some very good stuff, and some Louis XIII - at just £120 a shot.

We might not be getting involved with Hallowe'en - but just walking past the Louis XIII scares the crap out of us - let alone all that shaking of cocktails that we do just inches away....

Jack Daniel's Northampton Blend

JD is trying to cash in on the growing reputation of Northampton's cocktail culture by developing a Northampton Blend. It's rumoured that they are having trouble squeezing in the aromas of hops from Carlsberg, Galone's Rum and Raisin ice cream, Saul's of Spratton's black pudding, Brixworth Pate, and essence de Billing waterworks into a 700ml bottle - so they've rushed out a bottle of Jack Daniel's Sinatra Select instead.

We wont be stocking it at Haycock & Tailbar Associates because we think that we have some better options at a far more sensible price, but if you fancy a bottle you will find it online for around £150.

Also, we've selected Beluga Vodka as our new house-pour vodka. Albert is very, very excited - and with good reason. It's very good stuff.

Meat, Toni

With more and more people pre-ordering guest steaks when they book to eat supper - we've enlisted the help of our butcher, Toni, to expand the range. Kangaroo and Venison are proving popular, followed closely by wild boar, duck, and bison. Toni has now found us a reliable source of ostrich steaks, so happy, happy days.

Our favourites? All of them!

Martin has just bought a mincing machine and we're adding mini Marrakesh Meat Balls to our starter/cocktail nibbles list. Leading the charge so far are Camel balls, Alpaca balls, and Kangaroo balls.

As an aside, we're moving to 7.30pm opening on Friday and Saturday, we're working on a cigar-smoked old fashioned, and have responded to our mate Alex Proudfoot's (from world renowned cocktail bar Raouls in Oxford) suggestion to play with cold-infusion...

Finally - our buddies Mark and Graham at Wine Connection next door have got their pre-Christmas selection of port in this week. As 2011 has been declared a vintage there's no better time to snap up a fantastic drop of Krohn for under £30.

That will do for now - happy imbibing to you all.