Food & Drink

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..

Milton Keynes Play Association (MKPA) are renown for selling unwanted items from their Scrapstore in Kiln Farm, Milton Keynes. Their philosophy is to avoid waste and recycle and repurpose wherever possible. No surprise then to discover that MKPA have successfully rehomed their own ‘waste’ product, the spare pumpkins left over from their half-term play sessions. Pumpkins were donated to the volunteers who cook for The Bus Shelter MK, the bus for the homeless. Instead of being composted, or going to landfill, they will be used to provide much needed meals. Michele Clark, Play Coordinator, MKPA said, ‘We were very keen not to waste something that can be put to good use and for such a good cause’. Slated Row school have also received some pumpkins to enable them to raise funds for the bus. Paul Gowin, Manager of The Bus Shelter MK said, ‘I’d like to thank Milton Keynes Play..

This month, a national campaign was launched by the British Toilet Association to ask restaurants, pubs, bars and local businesses to welcome the public to freely use their toilet facilities.  Milton Keynes has been named as one of a few places in the UK that doesn’t have a single free public toilet, making the need for local business participation even greater.  Maaya Indian Kitchen & Bar in The Hub has become the first business in Milton Keynes and one of the first in the UK to sign up to the campaign and display its sticker.  “We’re an independent business in central Milton Keynes and the community is at the heart of everything we do,” says Manager and Joint Owner, Mo Abdul. He added: “Going to the toilet is a human right and we have never refused anyone away for wanting to use our facilities, and now, thanks to this campaign,..

If Gin’s your thing, you’ll be pleased to hear there is now an award-winning Gin made by a small batch, artisan producer in Stoke Goldington. The Fruity Farmer scooped the ‘Best Local Drink Product 2018’ in the recent MK Food and Leisure Awards for their Seville Orange Gin. The small producer makes a range of 9 seasonal fruit gins and liqueurs, all for sale at local farmers markets, food festivals and events or they can be ordered via their Facebook page and collected or despatched from Stoke Goldington. Each of the liqueurs are made simply by infusing fruits into the spirit, with sugar added. There’s Rhubarb Gin (currently the top seller), Seville Orange Gin, Sloe Gin, Strawberry Gin, Apple & Blackberry Gin, Raspberry Vodka, Limoncello, Cherry Brandy and Blackberry Whisky. The MK Food and Leisure Awards were presented at a glittering black-tie dinner in Milton Keynes and recognised the best..

This week, Maaya Indian Kitchen & Bar was awarded the Best Indian Restaurant in Milton Keynes 2018 at the Restaurant & Bar Awards, hosted by global luxury magazine LUX Magazine.  Judges selected the independent Indian restaurant in The Hub and presented the award to joint owner and manager, Mo Abdul, he said: “We’re delighted to have won this award, which is the result of hard work and a passion to be the best in Milton Keynes.”  Maaya opened two years ago and has already won several awards, including being short-listed for the British Curry Awards. To celebrate the LUX Magazine award and to mark its two year anniversary, Maaya is hosting a party on Thursday 26 April that will include fire eaters, Bollywood dancers, music and a set menu.  Mo adds: “I would like to thank the staff and chefs for their outstanding work and our customers for helping to..

The Milton Keynes public has had their say on the future of a local restaurant’s painting, and now management has made their final decision. Last month, Milton Keynes’ award-winning Indian restaurant, Calcutta Brasserie, announced plans for an extensive refurbishment, in celebration of their 10th Anniversary. As part of the refurbishment, Calcutta Brasserie, which is housed within a beautiful 17th Century Grade II Listed Chapel in Stony Stratford, announced that they were considering covering their famous “The Creation of Adam” mural, much to the surprise and shock of regulars! Unsure of what to do, the General Manager of the restaurant, Ali Ajmol, turned to social media to ask the people of Milton Keynes and their customers for their opinion. The response was unprecedented with over 400 people taking to Facebook and Twitter to have their say. Here are some comments posted on social media: “Having seen the real one a few..

One of the UK’s fastest growing pub groups, Oakman Inns & Restaurants Ltd, which operates The Navigation Inn near Thrupp Wharf, Cosgrove has again been voted by their own team as one of the top employers in the UK, coming 17th in The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For. The 2018 Best Companies list which “celebrates and showcases the very best in workplace engagement” were revealed at an awards ceremony held at the Battersea Evolution venue in London’s Battersea Park last Thursday, February 22nd. Oakman Inns, which currently employs just over 750 people across its 20 pubs, inns and restaurants – seven of which double as small boutique hotels (see below) - has also secured a Best Companies 3 Star “extraordinary” accreditation, which recognises the highest standard of workplace engagement and represents organisations that excel. This is the third year that Oakman’s team culture has been given this..

Application to the first intu Milton Keynes Artisan Market of the year has closed, and now the list of confirmed independent businesses exhibiting on Saturday 3 March can be revealed. 24 retailers will showcase a range of independent handmade products for shoppers at intu Milton Keynes, just in time for Mother’s Day The traders exhibiting at the first of four markets this year, include Tabitha Mary, a digital print designer who is inspired by the railway posters of the 1930’s, Baby Dee & Me  who specialise in slogan tees and monochrome baby clothes inspired by music, The Room Alive  which as the name suggests, creates beautiful cushions, wallpaper and prints for the whole family to bring your home alive. Plus, making a comeback from a very popular 2017, White Rabbit Apparel will be trading at the market and will have their up-cycled must have fashion on offer, as well as..

One of Milton Keynes’ award-winning restaurants, Calcutta Brasserie, is preparing for a refurbishment to create a new look and feel, part of which management are considering covering up the iconic “The Creation of Adam” mural, originally painted by the famous Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel, Rome. The mural has been part of the building’s history for 25 years when it first opened as the Moghul Palace, but as Calcutta Brasserie enters its 10th Anniversary in the beautiful 17th Century Grade II Listed Chapel, the manager is looking to refresh the restaurant, including potentially covering over the painting with another piece of art or large mirror. Unsure of what to do and how to proceed with this decision, Calcutta is reaching out to its diners and the people of Milton Keynes for advice on Twitter and Facebook via a poll which will go like on Friday 23 February.  Should it stay,..

Lakeview Lodge Care Home in Newton Leys recently celebrated Valentine’s Day with a special tea party for residents and their families. Residents had spent the week creating decorations for the lounges which were festooned with heart-shaped bunting, flowers and balloons. They dressed up in their best clothes for the occasion and were served their tea and cakes by the wonderful front of house team at the home. Residents at Lakeview Lodge were also attending the tea party to judge the cakes on offer as part of the Country Court Care ‘Baked with Love’ recipe competition. Residents from all the care homes in the Country Court Care Group have been sending in their favourite recipes, three were chosen to be baked for the tea party. They had great fun sampling the cakes, baked the home’s Chef Manager and then voting for their favourite, they chose from Lena Love cake, Coffee &..

An Indian restaurant in Milton Keynes has come to the rescue for chicken lovers across the city, following this week’s news that KFCs have temporarily shut, because they have run out of chicken.  From Wednesday 21 February, Maaya Indian Kitchen & Bar in The Hub will be serving deep fried chicken wings as part of its lunchtime buffet available Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays – for no extra cost!  The bottomless buffet already provides 20 dishes from Chicken Tikka Masala to Lamb Rogan Josh, and now customers can enjoy their chicken fix Indian-style. The restaurant has ordered in 10 times the normal quota of chicken from its suppliers (highly reliable) and increased the number of lunchtime staff to cater for the anticipated demand.  “The chefs have created a flavoured batter to cover our chicken wings and then deep fried them to give a crisp and succulent coating,” said owner and manager..

Following the success of the intu Milton Keynes Artisan Market and the Etsy Made Local market in 2017, local independent traders are being invited back to intu Milton Keynes for a series of seasonally inspired artisan markets in the centre. intu Milton Keynes, in partnership with the Etsy Milton Keynes team, will be kicking off 2018 with its first artisan market on 3 March, just in time for Mother’s Day. Selling a variety of gifts and handmade products, it will be located on the boulevard near to Pret and Gap. Artisan markets will also be popping up in the centre on Saturday 9 June and 29 September, plus there is potential for another Etsy Made Local market to come to the centre again, near to Christmas! Kirsty McGiff, marketing manager at intu Milton Keynes said, “Last year’s Artisan Market and Etsy Made Local Market were hugely successful, and our shoppers..

Lakeview Lodge Care Home in Newton Leys recently celebrated some success, as Chef Managers Ian Powell & Colette Hawkins swooped three awards in a national cooking competition, organized internally by Country Court Care. The competition was called Meal Showreel and aimed to showcase some of the wonderful food cooked for residents residing within a Country Court Care Home, Lakeview Lodge Care Home in Newton Leys being one of them. To enter the competition was simple, Chef Managers had to take photos of their food and submit them to Country Court Care. Chef Managers had a choice between three categories for submission; main, dessert and texture modified. The entries were then sorted into the three categories and judged by a panel of Alykhan Kachra, Managing Director of Country Court Care and Anwar Kajee, Catering Operations Manager. There were some fantastic prizes to be won, Ian & Colette winning two golds and..

Milton Keynes will have a new festive offering from 10th November this year in the shape of THOR’S tipi bar – a Christmas pop-up bar with a difference.  Located in Oak Court at intu Milton Keynes shopping centre, THOR’S tipi bar will be a novel experience for Christmas shoppers and revellers alike.  A giant Scandinavian tipi will form the bar, festooned with lighting and decked out with wooden tables and benches, cosy furs and a fire pit.   Serving local draft ales, mulled wine and hot cider, the fully licensed bar will have something to warm everyone's cockles.  A hot chocolate station allows kids, big and small, to choose a topping for their homemade chocolate treat.  Spearheading the drive to bring THOR’S to intu Milton Keynes was General Manager Shelley Peppard. “We are always looking to evolve and develop the centre offerings at Christmas to attract new customers.  THOR’S tipi will..

Today, Maaya Indian Kitchen & Bar in The Hub received a letter from the British Curry Awards announcing that it has been shortlisted.  The independent restaurant will represent Milton Keynes as it competes for the title of the best Indian restaurant in the South East. The awards will be held on Monday 27 November at the glamourous Battersea Evolution, and will be attended by over 1,600 restauranteurs, celebrities and royalty and will be broadcast live in over 200 countries.  This is the second year Maaya has been shortlisted for the most prestigious Indian restaurant awards in the UK.  Maaya, which opened earlier this year in The Hub, was shortlisted for the best Newcomer award last year and made it to the final 14 from the 230,000 overall entries.  “We are incredibly excited to have received this letter. The nomination for the British Curry Awards is directly from the public, which..