Food & Drink

Scroll for the tastiest food and drink from across Milton Keynes and North Bucks

15th Mar 2021

Maaya Indian Kitchen & Bar launches ‘Cooking at Home’ service

Enjoy cooking the flavours of Maaya in your own kitchen. Maaya Indian Kitchen & Bar – located in The Hub Milton Keynes – has this week launched their ‘Cooking at Home’ service. Enabling customers to cook their favourite flavours of India in the comfort of their own home, the award-winning Indian restaurant are now offering fresh, vacuum-packed ingredients for the following variety of starter, main and side dishes (with more to follow soon): Paneer Tikka Starter £15 Shaami Kebabs Starter with salad & chutney £12 Butter Chicken Main £25 Chicken Tikka Jalfrezi Main with Spicy Mash £28 Masala Lamb Chops Main with Jeera Roasted Potatoes & Rogan Josh Gravy £35 King Prawn Tawa Masala Main with Sauteed Green Beans £40 Bombay Aloo Side £10 Garlic and Coriander Naan £5 To pair with the key ingredients – which include everything from fresh chicken, prawns and lamb to potatoes and dough –..

Read More
05th Mar 2021

Willen Hospice teams up with MK Baking Blogger, Alix Carey, for Mother’s Day cupcake class

Willen Hospice are inviting local people to celebrate Mother’s Day this year by learning how to bake and decorate stunning cupcakes, with MK based baking blogger and author, Alix Carey from My Kitchen Drawer.  Alix will be teaching the exclusive virtual class, which takes place on Friday 12 March, 4 – 6pm, to help raise funds for the Hospice at time when many of their usual fundraising activities have been postponed or cancelled. Taught live over Zoom, participants will bake alongside Alix, who will show how she makes the perfect cupcake, as well as demonstrating how to make icing flowers to decorate them. Alix, who has published three bestselling baking cookbooks, said: “I am really excited to teach this class. I’ll be sharing my top baking tips and advice, and giving people the confidence to show them that they can make show stopping cakes in their own kitchens.  “Willen Hospice..

Read More
04th Feb 2021

Valentine’s Day with Willen Hospice’s Virtual Cooking Classes

Willen Hospice has partnered up with local chefs and bakers to help MK residents learn new culinary skills in lockdown, while raising much-needed funds for the charity. The first of four virtual classes is a three-course Valentine’s Day Dinner, taking place on Friday 12 February, 5.30 – 7pm. Streamed live via Zoom, Ashley from Hilltop Catering will be demonstrating how to make a refreshing Rocket and Prosciutto salad starter, the perfect Chicken and Chorizo Paella, before finishing with a delicious desert; triple chocolate covered strawberries with an Oreo crumb. Vegetarian options are available as well.  Tracey Jago, Willen Hospice Events Manager, said: “Our Valentine’s Day virtual cooking class is a great way to treat a loved one to a surprise dinner in, cook together as a ‘date night’, or even a rehearsal for the main event. Plus, master gastronomic tricks and tips from a professional chef. “Over the past year,..

Read More
22nd Jan 2021

Sign up to make a real change

Since launching in 2014, more than one million people have signed up to give Veganuary a go, and in 2021 the campaign is set to enjoy its biggest success – with an estimated 500,000 people set to ditch animal products. Veganuary is focused on changing behaviours and attitudes, and encourages consumers to ditch the meat and dairy in favour of a plant-based diet. The campaign serves as an online friend for participants – with tips and support and a website bursting with helpful resources to help make the ‘journey’ easier; recipes, a starter kit and meal plans are shared to take the hassle out of trying vegan. Today, vegan food is not all soya milk, nut roasts and pulses found hidden in the corner of your local health food store, although there is nothing wrong with that, of course. Things are changing. Whether..

Read More
11th Jan 2021

Maaya launches ‘drive thru’ as part of increased safety measures

This week, Maaya Indian Kitchen & Bar in The Hub has announced that they will be increasing the safety measures of their takeaway collection service by introducing a ‘drive-thru’ style pick up, in order to reduce contact and prevent customers from leaving their cars. Anyone collecting a takeaway from Maaya will now be asked to pull up in the Aylesbury Boulevard lay-by next to The Hub, put their hazards on and wait for a staff member to bring their takeaway out to them. Their takeaway bag can be put in the boot, passed through the window from a distance or left on a potable table for the customer to collect. The new safety measures will be launched alongside Maaya’s £1000 giveaway on Thursday 14 January, which will see the award-winning Indian restaurant give away a voucher in a golden envelope to every single person who orders a takeaway for collection..

Read More
07th Dec 2020

If you love gyros, it’s your lucky day...

New Greek street food truck arrives at intu Milton Keynes A new Greek food operator – Souv-lucky Day – has moved into the shopping centre’s boulevard ready following the return of non-essential shopping. A family run business with over 20 years’ experience in cooking delicious Greek dishes, Souv-lucky Day brings a new flavour to the centre this December for Christmas shoppers to tuck into. Using all fresh ingredients, the menu includes Greek favourites such as gyros, kebabs, Greek salads and lashings of mouth-watering tzatziki sauce. Offering takeaways from their street food van – which is parked up between Starbucks and The Indie Collective pop-up in the former Pret unit – the team will be keeping everyone safe with the appropriate staff PPE, regular deep cleans and social distancing measures. “Our family is excited to bring this new food offering to intu Milton Keynes and serve a taste of true Greek..

Read More
17th Nov 2020

To the food lovers and the food trade of the UK

The past eight months has seen disaster and innovation within the regional food & drink sector, possibly in equal measure.  We have witnessed the rise and fall of our artisan cheesemakers and watched with sadness as our cousins in food service saw their trade plummet overnight. This has been balanced by independent retailers attracting new customers, adopting the internet as a tool to keep them, and unearthing previously unknown suppliers from their area to broaden the retail offer. Suddenly the connection between maker, retailer and consumer has become closer, simpler and more friendly.  And friends rally in a crisis.  The local food & drink sector was relatively close-knit before COVID-19 but that community spirit has led to a unique network of over 20 organisations coming together with the collective aim of becoming a strong face for British food and drink. Providing a voice and support for thousands of SMEs, this..

Read More
05th Oct 2020

Eat at Maaya during National Curry Week for the chance to WIN your meal

Maaya Indian Kitchen & Bar, located in the Hub Milton Keynes, has announced their plans for National Curry Week this October – which will see the launch of a ‘Bhaji Bingo’ event to give customers the chance to win their meal. Taking place between Monday 5 October and Sunday 11 October, the 22nd National Curry Week celebrates the nation’s favourite cuisine and supports the UK’s thriving Indian restaurant industry. Milton Keynes based award-winning Indian restaurant, Maaya Indian Kitchen & Bar, have just revealed their plans to celebrate another year of National Curry Week. Between 5pm and 9pm Tuesday to Sunday during National Curry Week, the team at Maaya Indian Kitchen & Bar will be running their ‘Bhaji Bingo’ event, giving any table in the restaurant the chance to win their meal and drinks for free that evening*. Each day the team will choose a lucky number, and if the table..

Read More
28th Sep 2020

Just brew-ti-ful: firefighter entrepreneurs serve up 20,000 cups of coffee to covid-19 key workers

A Milton Keynes firefighter and his colleague handed out over 20,000 cups of coffee to frontline key workers during the peak of the coronavirus in the UK as they gear up for a second spike in the pandemic. Tom Taylor, 28, from Olney, set up an online coffee company with Matt Broxton, also 28, because the instant coffee at the fire stations they both worked at was ‘terrible’ and ‘tasted like tarmac’. They felt all key workers involved in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic ‘deserved a decent cup of coffee’. The young founders set up Frontline Coffee with its profits donated to emergency service and health charities. The pair has sold 4741.25kg of coffee so far which at 7g a cup is the equivalent of 677,321 cups of coffee with 20,000 of those going direct to the frontline for free during the UK lockdown in the spring. Frontline Coffee aims..

Read More
26th Jun 2020

Maaya Indian Kitchen & Bar is back for summer dining

Following the latest government's announcement – Maaya Indian Kitchen & Bar, located in the Hub Milton Keynes – has announced that they will be opening their doors on Saturday 4 July with a brand-new look. Having undergone a complete makeover over the last few months, the award-winning independent business will be offering their full restaurant and bar menus, with new social distancing measures in place to enable a safe and comfortable dining experience. Alongside thorough and regular deep cleans of the restaurant – the new social distancing measures include hand sanitising facilities, staff PPE, additional space between tables and a dedicated ‘serving table’, which will be used to serve your food and collect your plates once finished. The team at Maaya are also encouraging people to look at the menu online before arrival to reduce unnecessary contact, however menus will be available and will be thoroughly steralised before and after..

Read More
14th Apr 2020

Get baking for Willen Hospice

The team at Willen Hospice is encouraging local people to get baking by taking part in their Great Willen Cake Off. The virtual contest aims to raise vital funds for the charity while people are at home. The Cake Off runs from Thursday 9 April – Monday 20 April, and to get everyone inspired, the charity has teamed up with local author and baking blogger, Alix Carey from My Kitchen Drawer. Alix is known for her colourful bakes and will be creating videos sharing recipes and handy tips, which will be posted on the Willen Hospice Facebook page. All people need to do is visit the Willen Hospice website and register to take part. There are two categories to choose from; Children and Adults (16+), and each baker will need to resist eating their goodies right away so they can snap a photo and send three words describing their bake,..

Read More
04th Oct 2019

A Taste of The Mediterranean

Fenny Stratford, a rather delightful historic market town with the heart and soul of a city! Part of Milton Keynes Borough and just a stone’s throw from the centre, this hidden suburb has an emerging star blooming on its growing main road. The Fenny Kitchen.  Standing proud since the 16th century, this former farmhouse has been clearly loved and respected by its owner, Tony Keller.  This local Architectural Designer created the space within the old walls, to create his life’s passion and has ploughed his love for food, travel, buildings and Fenny into this new eatery.   Now established for a year, Tony has every right to feel rather proud of his creation and the business he runs. The restaurant has a warm and homely vibe and there is something rather special in the way he has developed a place to eat for all occasions. Whether it’s a birthday or..

Read More
07th Aug 2019

The largest one-day food festival in Milton Keynes returns for 2019

The MK FoodFest is back on Saturday 14th September for its fourth year in the new location of Middleton Pavilion. Once again it will run from 11am until 5pm and entry to the festival is free to the public. Previous years saw over 6000 visitors over the course of the day and we are expecting to welcome more this year. The MKFoodFest has quickly become the most highly anticipated and popular food and drink festival in Milton Keynes, showcasing the very best of local. Uniquely, we only select food and drink businesses from within a 20-mile radius of the venue, making for a truly local experience. This September the picturesque parkland around The Pavilion in Middleton will come alive with the exciting vibe of the local food and drink scene. The MKFoodFest will bring together over 90 stalls including street food vendors, artisan producers, a farmers’ market and hot, cold and alcoholic drink..

Read More
04th Jul 2019

A burst of warm spice

Quite unbelievably, there is a secret in Milton Keynes that both shoppers and local workers just may be unaware of. Meander through the market of fruit and veg, hear the stallholder cries and tinker through the trinkets and you will come across Urban Dhaba.  Dhaba, the term given to a relaxed eatery or truck stop on the side of a road, is where the home cooks prepare the most authentic food in India. They use fresh produce from the farms around them, using simple techniques and nothing artificial is added. It’s Indian food, just how Indian food actually is. Urban Dhaba, that secret in our local town, is that place.   Within a moment of being inside, you are transported to a warm and serene place, full of sunny charm and good humour. The welcome from Manish and his family is full of love for their food and their desire..

Read More
06th Mar 2019

New French Restaurant and Cocktail Bar Proves a Big Hit in Stony Stratford

Since opening its doors, the newest independent restaurant in Stony Stratford - French Affaire - proves a firm favourite for friends, families and couples to enjoy from breakfast and lunch to evening meals, cocktails as well as a French twist Full Afternoon tea. French Affaire is an intimate French inspired restaurant based just off the high street in the quaint Odell’s Yard. Specialising in French cuisine, the beautiful restaurant is open Tuesday – Sunday and serves a range of sweet and savoury crepes, baguettes, petit plats - available to eat-in in the Instagram-able interior, or as a take away for those in a hurry. On Friday and Saturday evenings, French Affaire is open for dinner where guests can enjoy a variety of mouth watering French classics as well as some contemporary and innovative dishes from an ever-changing dinner menu. The French Restaurant continues to go from strength to strength and..

Read More