I went on a Hidden Food Tour in Nottingham — it’s excellent for discovering the city’s flavours and heritage
The East Midlands-based group has began running tours in the city
We are so lucky to have a city that’s filled with talented producers and steeped in history – and the Hidden Food Tours (hiddenfoodtours.co.uk) is now exploring that.
We were kindly invited on one of the first tours around the city, walking around for three hours and exploring six of Nottingham’s food and drink destinations, with bites to eat and fascinating talks.
If you love Nottingham’s restaurants and are looking for things to do in the area, the tours are currently open for bookings on the fourth Saturday of the month, and are £85pp. For more guides and features, subscribe to The Notts Edit to receive our articles in your inbox for free.
Review: Discovering Nottingham’s flavours and heritage with the Hidden Food Tours
Words and photos by Eve Smallman
I thought I knew everything about Nottingham’s food scene – but the Hidden Food Tours proved me wrong. The tours, which operate in Melton Mowbray and Lincoln, have now come to Nottingham. Our city’s food scene is fantastic, and it has become bigger and buzzier over the past few years, so it’s naturally a brilliant place to host this.
Hosted in small groups of eight, the tours move around six city centre locations on Saturdays (the fourth of the month as of time of writing). This felt like the perfect size for getting a true, intimate feel of each venue, as well as feeling looked after throughout. We were greeted by tour hosts Matt and Janina, who handed us branded tote bags (stylish and handy, as I found out later) with copies of the Great Food Club.
The first stop at 10am was the most glorious sight on a sleepy weekend morning – coffee and a pastry at Tough Mary’s Bakehouse (tough-marys-bakehouse.myshopify.com) on Derby Road (I was glad to do the hill first, instead of last!). We were ushered into the actual bakehouse, which sits next to the cafe, and is wonderfully warm and toasty.
Owner Kate O’Shea talked us through how she created the business, and shared her favourite memories and bakes while we tucked into thick cuts of jammy Copenhagens. I bagged a potato dauphinoise pastry and a vanilla and chocolate pain suis, with the card machine brought straight to me, to save being in the heaving queue. Firmly fuelled up and caffeinated, I was excited for the next stop.
My partner and fellow food lover Sam and I wondered where we could end up next from here – and as we were led around by the castle near the Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem and Salutation, I wondered if 11am was too early for a pint. Perhaps if the timings were a little different, this could have worked – both famous spots that locals and tourists might have enjoyed. For those who like a tipple, don’t fret – that’s to come.
Anyone who knows me knows that I love cheese, so I was thrilled that the next stop was The Cheese Shop (cheeseshopnottingham.co.uk) on Flying Horse Walk. Co-owner Rob Freckingham talked us through four different cheeses, all carefully paired with toppings and crackers. He spoke so passionately about working with different producers and finding special cheeses across the country.
The one I enjoyed the most – both story-wise and taste-wise – was the soft Eggleston cheese. Made from raw cow’s milk by Primrose Creamery at the Welbeck Estate, this is named after William Eggleston, a local farmer who died in the 1766 Nottingham Cheese Riot. For me, this was the tour really at its best – the blend of excellent food producers, the remarkable history, and the delicious food. The cheese found its way into my bag (...okay, yes, I bought it and ate it that evening).
Cheese and pastries? Oh, I was in – and then gin got thrown into the mix too (turns out 11.30am is the right time for a drink). I had been in Weavers Wines (weaverswines.com) before, but I hadn’t been down to the cellar, which was a real treasure trove. We sampled three of the Castle Gate Gins, which had been on my list to try for actual years. Made from Sherwood Forest acorns and central England botanicals, these were fragrant and full of depth. We were also interestingly told that gin is best served at room temperature to truly taste the flavours – a fact I will now whip out at the pub/parties/anywhere with gin.
The beauty of this tour is that not only does it introduce different food spots, but it also shares history too. Matt talked about the Grade II Severn’s building which was a lace centre and moved to the castle, as well as the metal strip that runs through Old Market Square which once divided the city’s Anglo-Saxon and Norman communities. Both of these I knew very little about, and appreciated both factually and as respite in between stops.
Would it be a Nottingham food tour without our city’s iconic mushy peas, normally served in a pot at the Goose Fair? Matt thought not, and asked Piccalilli’s Dan Coles (piccalillinottingham.co.uk) to create something with these. He cleverly designed a ham croquette with a mushy pea puree, and served this alongside a pork belly bite with Bramley apple puree – the apples another Nottingham classic (I had veggie alternatives). The restaurant has been awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand, so it is relatively well-known – but it is technically hidden up an alley, so I’ll give them that.
I am a big dessert after dinner kind of girl, so I was pleased that this was followed by a trip to Chocolate Utopia (chocolate-utopia.co.uk) – a chocolate shop in Nottingham that I had actually never stepped foot in before. But, my goodness, I will be back, if not only to have another chocolate shot. For £3 normally, you can have a milk or dark chocolate cup filled with warm tempered chocolate. I actually thought I might cry – it was that delicious.
The final stop was the iconic Malt Cross (maltcross.co.uk) – the beautiful pub on St James’s Street that was formerly a Victorian music hall. Small wines, half pints, and cokes were drunk as we drank in conversation about the tour, chatted about what we’d enjoyed, and even just got to know one another. This thoughtfully allowed people to stay as long as they wanted to catch their breath, or even to head on home after the three hours.
The only thing I questioned was the amount of food on the tour for £85pp. While I enjoyed the slice of pastry, the cheese on crackers, the croquettes, and the chocolate cup, I wondered if the portions could have been bigger or if one more stop could have been added as more of a ‘main’, as the nibbles were starters and desserts. However, the items served were curated with a bespoke touch, and did choose quality over quantity. Plus, other people on the tour remarked on feeling full.
Overall, I thought the Hidden Food Tours’ Nottingham edition was really wonderful. Whether as an introduction to the Nottingham food and drink scene, a fun few hours for foodies, or even to teach those in-the-know something new, it does provide something unique in the area. With it celebrating and showcasing the city in such a positive way, it’s a huge winner for me.
hiddenfoodtours.co.uk
@hidden_food_tours
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