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Here is today's edition of The Nottinghamian:
Hello,
Today's edition of The Nottinghamian focuses on a Nottingham contender for the coveted title of best fish and chip shop in the UK. The chippy, which has a large vegan menu, has been shortlisted as one of the top 40 takeaways in the country.
We will also discuss library campaigners urging the council to use the buildings as 'warm havens' this winter. Plus we have the best street style of the day and news of a new restaurant opening in the city following success as a pop-up store.
Top chippy
A Woodthorpe chippy where fish isn't the number one choice for many customers has been shortlisted as one of the best fish and chip takeaways in the UK. The National Fish and Chip Awards 2023 has announced a 40-strong shortlist of finalists in readiness for next year's awards ceremony and Sea & Earth in Mansfield Road has made the cut.
The chippy opened in 2021 and serves a varied menu of cod, scampi, sausages, fishcakes and chicken nuggets. But it's also vegan-friendly, offering deep-fried banana blossom as an alternative to fish, meat-free sausages and nuggets and vishcakes. Sea & Earth are facing other chippies from Skegness, Whitley Bay and Hunstanton for a chance of winning the number one spot.
The honour went to Nottingham-based Cod's Scallops in 2020. Sea & Earth is run by Nik Constantinou, whose father Andrew founded the chain of George's Tradition chip shops. The chippy has had rave reviews from meat-eaters, veggies and vegans alike. The award ceremony takes place in February 2023.
Warm havens
The Save Nottingham Libraries campaign group is calling on Nottingham City Council to refrain from potentially axing three of its libraries so they can be used as "warm havens" this winter. It comes after many households are still expected to struggle over the winter months, despite Prime Minister Liz Truss revealing plans to cap energy bills at £2,500.
Libraries may therefore be one of the only places available for some to keep warm. In Nottingham, however, there are some issues. The central library in Angel Row has been closed for more than two years and as part of the Labour council's progress towards financial stability, three of its libraries may face closure.
Des Conway from the libraries campaign says: "We are aware of several local authorities across England preparing to deal with this need, using their libraries as ‘warm havens’, and also providing additional furniture and extending opening hours."
He added: "All of the emerging evidence suggests that the council now has to bite the bullet, reverse the intention to close these three historic libraries, and hopefully, in the process, extend the opening hours as well to help local citizens faced with the horrendous cost of living choices, literally between eating or heating.” It is understood Nottingham City Council will be detailing options in the coming weeks. Read more here.
Weather and trivia
Weather: Another day of sunny spells with fair weather. Cloud building on Friday. Brisk winds are expected and a risk of isolated showers. Feeling rather cool. Maximum temperature 16 °C.
Pollen: Low
Further reading: New era for popular cafe where owner says 'it's all been highs'
Trivia question: How heavy is the Major Oak?
The answer to today’s trivia question is at the bottom of the newsletter.
Street style
Lesley Tring stood out from the crowds in a beautifully patterned dress. The 64-year-old from Keyworth describes her style as "smart casual". She gets her inspiration from various shops. She said: "I browse online but I do come to see the clothes and the fabrics in the stores." Lesley usually wears dresses, trousers and tops but does not like to wear skirts. In the winter she opts for leggings and a tunic over the top. When asked to give one piece of style advice, she said: "Just dress according to your size."
Outfit breakdown
- Dress - Marks & Spencer
- Shoes - Ecco
- Socks - Primark
- Bag - Marks & Spencer
Restaurant opening
A pop-up pizza vendor is getting ready to open a restaurant in the city centre having built up an army of followers. Slice 'n' Brew is set to take over what used to be Kings Walk Kitchen, near Trinity Square.
The pizza and beer double act started out in owner Ryon Ishfaq's back garden to pass the time while furloughed from his job as a chef during the pandemic lockdowns in 2020. For the uninitiated, Slice 'n' Brew is all pizza, Neapolitan and Detroit style, and beer, and over the last year has teamed up with Junkyard, Neon Raptor, Black Iris Bottle and Tap and Delilah Fine Food.
Ryon said he never considered running his own business pre-pandemic because the stress wasn't appealing. "But here I am and I'm really enjoying it," he said. The pizzas come with some pretty imaginative toppings such as coppa charcuterie, guindilla chillies, scarmorza cheese and scotch bonnet honey.
The best-selling pizza is topped with fennel sausage, wild garlic and pink fir potato and for the veggies out there, harissa aubergine, feta, garlic yoghurt and sumac onions. As for the beers, expect IPAs, small batch lagers and artisanal lagers from local breweries Black Iris and Neon Raptor and German lagers from Braybrooke in Market Harborough.
That’s all for today
Thank you for joining me for today's edition of The Nottinghamian. I hope you enjoyed it, and if you did why not sign up to receive it directly in your inbox every weekday by clicking here.
The answer to today’s trivia question, how heavy is the Major Oak, is 23 tonnes. Who knows how they weighed that!
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