Scoff Menu

The Old Bank - Rothwell

For over a decade Old Bank has been a firm local favourite in the North Northamptonshire market town of Rothwell.

I’ve been 3 times now and each time I have been met with friendly service and tasty Mediterranean flavours.

You must make sure to save room for the delicious homemade baklava!

Pictured:
🍹 Aperol spritz & mocktails
🍞 Meze dip platter, homemade bread, cigar borek
🫓 Chicken yoghurt kebab
🐟 Baked sea bass
🐓 Aniseed chicken
🍯 Baklava
🧇 Biscoff waffle stack

Other plus points:
🌱 GF and vegan options
🥡 Takeaway available
👧 Kid friendly
🤝 2 for 1 on mains Tues-Thurs evenings

Smoked salmon pasta

This quick and easy dinner took me 15 mins to make and is perfect for a summers day.

Recipe makes 2:
* Fry 3 chopped spring onions in a k**b of butter
* Add a splash of white wine and boil until reduced
* Add 100g cream cheese
* Cook pasta to instructions
* Chop 5 asparagus stems into 3 pieces each and add this alongside a handful of peas to the pasta in the last 3mins
* Add 3tbsp pasta water to the cream cheese
* Drain the pasta and add to the sauce alongside some chopped smoked salmon
* Top with chopped parsley

Easy peasy!

The Red Barn - Spratton

Hidden in the beautiful Northamptonshire countryside between the villages of Spratton, Holdenby and Teeton is The Red Barn

Mr. G’s second visit and this time he sampled the vegetarian offerings, which are well catered for here.

🍞 Sourdough with brown butter
🥬 Hispi cabbage & Café de Paris butter
🍅 Heirloom Tomatoes
🌱 Wild garlic, spinach & feta Spanakopita
🌶️ Hummus, almond and ancho chilli

They commented that the food was really fresh and very tasty!

Other plus points:
👧 Kid friendly
🐶 Dog friendly
🍽️ Also open for Sunday lunch
🐄 Beef & lamb reared on the farm
🍺 Local drinks inc Braybrooke Beer Co,
🍦Also Rockys Gelato and Boughton Bees honey

Northamptonshire Coffee Beans

We are lucky here in Northamptonshire to have a number of different artisan coffee roasteries, all with different things to offer. Here’s my round up, save it for later!

🫘 Cardews Northampton - this wonderful family run shop is the Northampton OG, with a variety of beans as well as equipment and coffee/tea gifts

🫘 Well Roasted Coffee - run by the lovely William who roasts his beans just outside Desborough. His award winning Ugandan Bukonzo beans are Mr. G’s favourite!

🫘 Bella Barista - fully organic beans. Visit their shop in Nene Court in Wellingborough where they sell equipment as well as having a small cafe area and an outside bean vending machine!

🫘 - find them at their original location in Angel Street, Northampton or visit their larger cafe at The Old Depot in Weston Bec for coffee plus bagels & cakes.

🫘 Beanworks Coffee Roasters - based near Blisworth, their decaf in particular is excellent and a worthy winner of 2 Great Taste stars!

🫘 Jute Coffee - based in Thrapston, this award winning roastery sell both green/unroasted and roasted beans, plus they have a refill station in Daily Bread Cooperative Northampton

🫘 No.13 Coffee Roasters - Kettering based, lots of interesting options including beans from India which I have never come across before!

🫘 Corby Coffee Roasting Co - lots of different blends to choose from and all in plastic free packaging, choose between paper or compostable potato starch bags.

Are there any others I have missed?

Easy chocolate truffles

Chocolate truffles are the easiest thing to make but look very impressive.

All you have to do is heat 150ml of double cream until simmering then pour over 15g of melted butter and 200g chocolate (dark, milk, or a mixture).

Let this mixture sit for a few mins then add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix until fully combined.

Pour into a lined tin, cool in the fridge then scoop out small amounts to roll into balls. Then roll them in cocoa powder to coat. You can also then roll in some chopped roasted hazelnuts for extra crunch.

Oriental Garden - Northampton

For 18 years has been a much loved staple for anyone craving authentic Chinese cuisine.

We shared the following from the ‘All you can eat’ menu:
🫔 Mixed starters - chicken skewers, wings, ribs, spring rolls, seaweed, smoked chicken & prawn toast
🦆 Duck pancakes with cucumber, spring onion & hoisin sauce
🍛 Mains selection - Special fried rice, Singapore noodles, Chicken with cashew nuts, Lamb satay & stir fry mixed veg

We all left full and happy!

Other plus points:
💷 Good value - £30/£32pp ‘All you can eat’
🥟 Dim Sum handmade from scratch every day (available lunchtime/early eve)
🧒 Kid friendly