Herts &amp; Beds

<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-famous-faces">Famous faces</h2>



Keanu comes to town!



We&#8217;d love to say we were the first to break this story, but it instantly went viral &#8211; from our local Facebook page to BBC News in a matter of hours! For those of you who have been living under a rock&#8230; Keanu Reeves (aka the nicest guy in Hollywood) was in town!! Not only that, he was within touching distance (does that sound a bit stalker-like?) from me when he paid a visit to my local pub, <a href="https://www.robinhoodtring.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Robin Hood in Tring</a>. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="743" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Keanu-Reeves-Robin-Hood-1000x743.jpg" alt="Keanu Reeves" class="wp-image-75550" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Keanu-Reeves-Robin-Hood-1000x743.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Keanu-Reeves-Robin-Hood-800x594.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Keanu-Reeves-Robin-Hood-707x525.jpg 707w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Keanu-Reeves-Robin-Hood.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption>Posing with the pub staff &#8211; what a gent! [photo shared with permission from The Robin Hood pub, Tring] </figcaption></figure>



He ordered fish and chips and shepherd&#8217;s pie with a pint of ale for himself and a friend, then wandered into the kitchen to shake hands with and thank the staff, proving that he does indeed live up to his rep at a genuine gent. No-one actually knows why he stumbled upon our little local town, but hey, we&#8217;re not complaining &#8211; you&#8217;re welcome any time Mr Reeves. Still FURIOUS though that I didn&#8217;t get the memo (must have been a blip in the Matrix&#8230; sorry) 



Local chef to watch



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="559" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Amber-francis-great-british-menu-1000x559.jpg" alt="Amber Francis" class="wp-image-75552" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Amber-francis-great-british-menu-1000x559.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Amber-francis-great-british-menu-800x447.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Amber-francis-great-british-menu-900x503.jpg 900w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Amber-francis-great-british-menu.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Been glued to the latest series of Great British Menu on TV? Me too, and I&#8217;m even more invested since discovering that one of the competitors is <a href="https://www.instagram.com/amberlfrancis/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amber Francis</a>, Head Chef at <a href="https://www.birchcommunity.com/eat/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Zebra Riding Club</a> at Birch in Cheshunt. Amber will be representing the South West region on the show <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001j077" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TONIGHT</a> (7 Feb), competing with three other chefs to create showstopping dishes in honour of the anniversary of British Institution Paddington Bear to win the chance to cook at a celebratory banquet. Go Amber! 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Openings</h2>



Danish design



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="968" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/bo-concept-st-albans-968x1000.jpg" alt="Bo Concept" class="wp-image-75554" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/bo-concept-st-albans-968x1000.jpg 968w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/bo-concept-st-albans-775x800.jpg 775w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/bo-concept-st-albans-1487x1536.jpg 1487w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/bo-concept-st-albans-508x525.jpg 508w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/bo-concept-st-albans.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 968px) 100vw, 968px" /><figcaption><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CoPQnV5t1M5/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@boconceptuk</a></figcaption></figure>



You&#8217;ll always find us sniffing out the news of exciting openings in our neck of the woods and this month is no exception. Over in St Albans there&#8217;s a brand new <a href="https://www.boconcept.com/en-gb/stores/find-your-local-store/united-kingdom/london/boconcept-st-albans---new-store" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BoConcept</a> store on London road, showcasing the iconic brand&#8217;s slick Danish furniture over 4000 square feet of inspirational room sets (I feel a home makeover coming on!) 



Find lunch!



Ampthill&#8217;s vintage emporium and market space, Find, has just opened a fab new lunch spot &#8211; simply called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ampthilldeliandkitchen/">Find Lunch</a>. It&#8217;s from the people behind the former Ampthill Deli and Kitchen (and on the former site) so if you were missing your local lunch fix, you&#8217;re in luck, and we&#8217;re expecting tasty things! You&#8217;ll be able to grab sarnies, toasties, salads and jackets from Mondays to Fridays initially, and why not have a browse in the vintage shop while you&#8217;re there. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/find-lunch-1000x1000.jpg" alt="Find Lunch Ampthill" class="wp-image-75556" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/find-lunch-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/find-lunch-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/find-lunch-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/find-lunch-525x525.jpg 525w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/find-lunch-500x500.jpg 500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/find-lunch-1100x1100.jpg 1100w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/find-lunch.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption><a href="https://www.instagram.com/findlunchampthill/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@findlunchampthill</a></figcaption></figure>



Make a toast!



Love everything on toast? This brand new concept brunch spot in St Albans will satisfy your cravings, with a whole menu dedicated to the stuff. Oh and it&#8217;s called <a href="https://www.toaststalbans.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Toast</a>! It&#8217;s not just Baked Beans and eggs on a slice of white mind you &#8211; there are some far more sophisticated and intriguing combos on the menu, from confit duck on duck fat fried bread to salmon smash on seeded bloomer and steak on sourdough, as well as sweet and veggie options and &#8216;mini toast&#8217; for the kids. Plus, I hear rumours that there&#8217;ll be cocktails coming&#8230; It&#8217;ll be open 7 days a week from 9am-4pm. Plenty of time to work your way through the entire menu, then! 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="997" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Toast-st-Albans-1000x997.jpg" alt="Toast St Albans" class="wp-image-75559" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Toast-st-Albans-1000x997.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Toast-st-Albans-800x798.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Toast-st-Albans-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Toast-st-Albans-526x525.jpg 526w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Toast-st-Albans-500x500.jpg 500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Toast-st-Albans.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



New local



Former sports bar on Tring High Street, The Bell, has been closed for some months now, but behind the scenes, plans have been afoot. It&#8217;s set to be taken over by the team behind Wheathampsted brewery, <a href="http://www.farrbrew.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Farr Brew</a>, with a £300,000 makeover that will transform the place inside and out. As of April (building work dependent!) it will join the brewery&#8217;s group of six pubs across Herts and Beds as a new friendly local, (sorry sporty folks, its sports bar days are gone), serving food and local ales. Lovely. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">And some fond farewells&#8230;</h2>



Sadly the wonderful Copper House in Berkhamsted has pressed the pause button on the business and closed its doors this year. While I&#8217;m gutted to see them go, I have no doubt that the team will be back in the not-too-distant future with some exciting plans. Good luck to them and I can&#8217;t wait to see what you&#8217;ve got up your sleeves. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="956" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Copper-House-1000x956.jpg" alt="Copper House Berkhamsted" class="wp-image-75561" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Copper-House-1000x956.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Copper-House-800x765.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Copper-House-549x525.jpg 549w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/herts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Copper-House.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Also in Berkhamsted, the awesome Sunday lunch and cocktail spot, The Lamb has served its last pint. They will be greatly missed but I know the team won&#8217;t sit still for long and we will await in anticipation to hear what&#8217;s coming next. I wish all the very best to everyone involved. Onwards and upwards.

Newsflash! Celeb goss, a local chef to watch and new lunch spots

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