Hampshire &amp; Isle of Wight


<h2 class="wp-block-heading">ROBERT THOMPSON BACK IN NEWPORT</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1200" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/Thompsons-Newport-min.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29766" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/Thompsons-Newport-min.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/Thompsons-Newport-min-800x640.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/Thompsons-Newport-min-1000x800.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/Thompsons-Newport-min-768x614.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/Thompsons-Newport-min-656x525.jpg 656w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Big news for foodies on the Isle of Wight! After being MIA in Newport since Covid struck in 2020 top chef Robert Thompson has just reopened the doors of his signature Newport restaurant. Last year, Thompson became chef-patron at North House in Cowes, now <a href="https://forestershall.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Foresters Hall</a>. The restaurant there is closed until spring but the for sale sign has come down and <a href="https://www.robertthompson.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Thompson&#8217;s</a> is back open on Friday &#8211; Sundays, with a <a href="https://www.robertthompson.co.uk/menu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Valentine&#8217;s special</a> on Wed 15 Feb.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crown-crews-in-winchester">CROWN CREWS IN WINCHESTER</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/Winchester-Cathedral-interior-min.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29765" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/Winchester-Cathedral-interior-min.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/Winchester-Cathedral-interior-min-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/Winchester-Cathedral-interior-min-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/Winchester-Cathedral-interior-min-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/Winchester-Cathedral-interior-min-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>It&#8217;s a favourite location for the hit series. And Netflix film crews have been out in force in Winchester again this week. The&nbsp;Cathedral was closed off and it was surrounded with lighting and cranes. As usual, the exact scenes being filmed are hush hush. But word on the ground is that the magnificent interior is being used as a substitute for Westminster Abbey, the location of the funeral of Princess Diana in 1997. </p>



<p>Seen outside were Dominic West, who plays the now&nbsp;King Charles. And there was a (no doubt chilly) Geri Halliwell lookalike wearing a Union Jack mini dress and boots. Also spotted nearby were a group dressed as bridesmaids, prompting speculation that the big Cathedral scene might actually be the wedding of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones. Local Hampshire actor and <a href="https://hants.muddystilettos.co.uk/life-2/people/sarah-parishs-favourite-places/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Murray Parish Trust co-founder James Murray</a> is also in the new series, playing Prince Andrew.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">YIAYIAS KITCHEN </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1172" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/Yiayias-food.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29767" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/Yiayias-food.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/Yiayias-food-800x625.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/Yiayias-food-1000x781.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/Yiayias-food-768x600.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/Yiayias-food-672x525.jpg 672w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>If The Crown actors and crew get hungry, there&#8217;s no shortage of places to eat in Winchester. New among them is <a href="https://www.yiayias.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Yiayias Kitchen</a>, a Greek-Cypriot restaurant on St. George&#8217;s Street. It&#8217;s named after co-owner Paul&#8217;s grandmother, Yiayia Theodora, an inspiration for some of the Cypriot dishes here. The Winchester branch is a sister restaurant to the existing Farnham eatery, just over the Surrey border. Already slouvaki, moussaka and seafood dishes are getting rave reviews from locals. Yum.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">UP THE CREEK</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1001" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/The-Creek-Haslar-Marina.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29768" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/The-Creek-Haslar-Marina.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/The-Creek-Haslar-Marina-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/The-Creek-Haslar-Marina-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/The-Creek-Haslar-Marina-768x513.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/The-Creek-Haslar-Marina-787x525.jpg 787w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>How&#8217;s this for a view? Opened quietly in December at Gosport&#8217;s Haslar Marina, <a href="https://thecreekhaslar.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Creek</a> is still a bit of a hidden gem. Open on Mondays and Tuesdays for drinks then all day Wednesday &#8211; Sunday, it&#8217;s big for brunch, serving up pancakes, eggs Florentine and full-on cooked breakfasts. For lunch and dinner there&#8217;s small plates, moules frites, burgers and a pretty tasty-looking Brazilian fish stew. And Superflashy has spotted a sizable cocktail menu too. Taxi!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">THE SUPERMODEL, THE BEAVERS AND THE GREAT ESCAPE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="800" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/Beaver-1-1000x800.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29772" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/Beaver-1-1000x800.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/Beaver-1-800x640.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/Beaver-1-768x614.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/Beaver-1-656x525.jpg 656w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2023/01/Beaver-1.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Hampshire made national headlines this month when a pair of Beavers were released &#8211; the first in the county for over 400 years. Chompy and Hazel were introduced at the 925-acre <a href="https://www.ewhurst-park.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ewhurst Park</a> near Basingstoke. It was part of a rewilding nature project on a former shooting estate and seat of the Duke of Wellington. But the duo managed to sneak out of the carefully constructed fenced area of woodland and ponds before returning back, to the relief of all concerned. They&#8217;re now reported to be settling in well. Phew!</p>



<p>Malaysian-born model, actress and entrepreneur Mandy Lieu bought the estate in 2020. A superstar in Asia, modelling for the likes of Dior, she&#8217;s also been the face of luxe brands including Miu Miu, Omega and Marc Jacobs. Now, the supermodel can be found rocking Hunter wellies and getting stuck in with her <a href="https://www.ewhurst-park.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">estate-wide biodiversity project</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">HAMPSHIRE PUB RANKED TOP UK GASTRO </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="668" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2021/07/180606_the-purefoy_ria-mishaal-photography_006-1.jpg" alt="Purefoy Arms Hampshire" class="wp-image-23141" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2021/07/180606_the-purefoy_ria-mishaal-photography_006-1.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2021/07/180606_the-purefoy_ria-mishaal-photography_006-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2021/07/180606_the-purefoy_ria-mishaal-photography_006-1-720x481.jpg 720w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2021/07/180606_the-purefoy_ria-mishaal-photography_006-1-768x513.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/hants/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2021/07/180606_the-purefoy_ria-mishaal-photography_006-1-786x525.jpg 786w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Congratulations to the picture-perfect <a href="https://thepurefoyarms.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Purefoy Arms</a> in Preston Candover, <a href="https://www.top50gastropubs.com/Pubs/UK/Hampshire/the-purefpy-arms.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ranked in the top 100</a> <a href="https://www.top50gastropubs.com/">Estrella Damm</a>&nbsp;list of the country’s finest gastropubs. Presided over by chef-patron Gordon Stott since 2018, he also won Pub Chef of the Year at the Great British Pub Awards 2021. When <a href="https://hants.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/pubs-inns/purefoy-arms-preston-candover-review/">Muddy visited</a>, we were blown away by one of the finest puds in the county. Time we returned, it seems. Race you to the table!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">MUDDY BEST RESTAURANT GETS HARDEN&#8217;S ACCOLADE</h2>



<p>The Purefoy isn&#8217;t the only Hampshire eatery to get a national accolade this month. Named Best Restaurant in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight by our esteemed readers, the Muddy Award-winning <a href="https://elderflowerrestaurant.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Elderflower Restaurant</a> has snagged a spot in <a href="https://www.hardens.com/top-100-uk-restaurants/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harden&#8217;s Top 100 UK Restaurants</a>. Celeb fans include the sexy First Dates maître d’ <a href="https://www.instagram.com/fred_sirieix/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fred Sirieix</a>, who ate here with BBC newsreader Chris Bavin on a TV tour of the New Forest. He loved it so much, he returned a couple of days later to treat his fiancée. Aww.</p>



<p></p>


Superflashy newsflash! All the latest in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight

You may also like