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Nova Scotia Liverpool Restaurant Review

I was recently invited to review Nova Scotia on the Liverpool Waterfront and I was delighted to accept. Nova Scotia is an independent bar & eatery that serves breakfasts, small plates, lunches, main meals and desserts. Dishes include burgers, Dockside hotdogs, full English breakfasts, sandwiches, salads and traditional UK meals like Scouse and fish and chips. For drinks, Nova Scotia offers Signature Serves including Sea Brow Iced Tea, Jamaica Street, NS Old Fashioned and French Martini cocktails. They do serve mocktails too, which was very pleasing as I don't really drink alcohol. There is a selection of beers and wines too, so there is something for everyone. The menu includes veggie and vegan options, as well as clearly indicating allergens including eggs, dairy, gluten, mustard, nuts, fish, soya and more. This is great as it makes it nice and easy to see what is suitable. They are open 9am to 9pm 7 days a week so they should be open at a time suitable for everyone.

I knew I wanted a mocktail as soon as I was told they could make one and it had raspberry purée, lemon and pineapple in it, topped with a strawberry and a piece of orange. Andy chose an ice-cold San Miguel which was lovely to have on a warm but rainy summer's day. He said it was a nice refreshing beer to accompany the meal. There is a good selection of drinks at the bar so there should be one for everyone.

To start, we had the Halloumi Popcorn (£7, Vegetarian), which were beer battered halloumi nuggets which came with a roasted red pepper mayo. There was a fair amount of these given they were only a small plate item and were so light and delicious. The batter was crispy and the halloumi was soft and cooked perfectly, with the mayo pairing well to give a nice additional flavour. We also had the Salt N Pepper Fries (£5, Vegan) which was a plate full of homemade fries with salt n pepper seasoning, fried onions and red peppers throughout and topped with red chillies and salad onions. I was so impressed with these fries, so much so I would say they are one of the best we've ever had. If they ever got in a plant-based 'chicken' burger they would be so perfect together. Salt and pepper seasoning is most definitely one of my favourite flavours and these fries are perfect.

For our main meals, they asked if we would like them brought over not long after we had started our small plates, which we said yes to which was kind of them. I had the Mauretania (£12, Vegan if you choose the plant-based hotdog), which had salt n pepper seasoning, onions and peppers. I'm not normally one to choose hot dogs, but the salt n pepper flavour swayed me and I really enjoyed it. Andy had the Marco Polo (£14, Vegetarian), which is a Moving Mountains burger topped with cheese, house burger sauce and beer battered onion rings. This was a really tasty burger, and the onion rings worked well and gave a little added crunch and flavour. Both meals came with a generous portion of the Nova Scotia seasoned fries which were homemade skin-on fries and were the right mixture of crispy and soft.

Nova Scotia is located in the Mann Island building, right next to the World Museum and the Three Graces right on the waterfront. At the end of the 19th Century, the Mann Island area was actually a shanty-town called Nova Scotia and the dock served Canada and the lumber trade. It twinned with Nova Scotia in Canada, and there is also a Liverpool in Canada along with a Mersey River and a Mann Island over there too. Check out the video at the bottom of the post that showcases the creation of a composite 19th Century map of Liverpool’s waterfront and city centre, focused on the Nova Scotia dockland area.

The restaurant had a great atmosphere, with lots of plants and beautiful green and white tiles. It has a nice casual feel but in the best way possible. It's perfect to have a catch-up with friends and family, or a few drinks outside when it's sunny. It was open and airy and had a good view out to the Liverpool Museum and docks area. They have a selection of seating, including raised stools, booths and standard chairs. There is a small curb outside of the restaurant but after this, the restaurant is step-free (apart from a couple of small steps to the regular toilets) although there is an accessible disabled toilet down a small ramp as well. There is space within the restaurant to use a wheelchair where you could wheel up to a table.

The only criticism I have for the menu, is that it would be great if Nova Scotia could add the option to upgrade your Seasoned Fries to Salt N Pepper Fries with your meal, potentially for an extra few pounds. If an upgrade to the fries was available, I highly recommend getting the Salt N Pepper Fries with a main, but if you really want to try them you could get a few small plates to share as the Salt N Pepper Fries easily serves two people. The staff were really friendly and helpful and contributed to a really enjoyable and relaxing visit. I'm definitely going to be returning at some point soon and would recommend making a visit if you enjoy great food and drinks.

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AD/PR Sample | Trying Gluten Free & Vegan Products From Incredible Bakery Company

When The Incredible Bakery Company contacted me and asked if I'd like to review some of their products, I jumped at the chance. I found out a few years ago that I have a fair few food intolerances, and one of them is gluten. It's been hard to find gluten-free bakery products that I like and it's only been in recent years that supermarkets have started to make an effort to provide these products to people. I thought it was great that I have been given the chance to review some free-from items and I am so happy to have been introduced to this lovely company. The Incredible Bakery Company is an award-winning bakery that wants to "help everyone to lead an allergen friendly life through a better diet - without compromising on taste". The difference with this bakery is that they are catered to multiple dietary requirements, as all of their products are; gluten, dairy, egg and soya free. Another great bonus is that they are vegan and coeliac friendly. The bakery is based in Warkton, Northamptonshire where you can pick up your orders if you are local, or if you're not in the area they deliver to all UK businesses and homes. They offer a range of products, both sweet and savoury. I'm glad the products are vegan-friendly too, as I'm a vegetarian who is starting to cut out some foods to lower my impact on the environment.

My favourite product I received had to be the Onion Focaccia (£3.75) which was a 280g tray that was so tasty. It was a lovely fresh and soft texture with an amazing flavour which made it so moreish. It had a good level of moisture throughout and was topped with finely sliced onion which gave it that great taste. The tray would be ideal to use as part of a sharing platter if you were hosting or even one to just nipple on over the course of a few days. I'd buy this again in a heartbeat as the caramalised onion was such a delicious flavour and has to be one of the best things I've ever eaten, and it has the bonus of being gluten-free and vegan.

The second item I received was the Gluten-Free Oat Loaf (£3.90) which is designed to taste like a wheat loaf. This was a family-sized loaf that kept us going for a good few days. It was nice as both bread for sandwiches and worked well being toasted also. I was pleasantly surprised how soft and fresh the bread was, as gluten-free bread from other companies/brands I've tried tended to be quite dry. The loaf still managed to maintain a good crisp crust to it, with the oats that topped the loaf gave a nice flavour and texture. It was a nice change to have a fresh bakery loaf that I wouldn't have known was gluten-free which shows they have really put the effort in to make a good product. I've really missed loaves that are close to being freshly baked and this was a treat.

Another product I've been trying out is the Flat Bread Wrap (pack of 4) (£4.00) which can be used for multiple different things like fajitas or pizzas, or simply just wraps. The wraps were so soft and really tasty and fresh to eat just as they come, or heated in your oven or toaster for a warmer snack. I also decided to try out using one as a pizza base, with just some tomato puree and cheese on top. I stuck it under the grill for a few minutes to melt the cheese and crisp up some of the flatbread so that it still had a nice soft base. Alternatively, you could pop it in the oven for a little longer to get a crispier base also depending on your preference. I also received the Submarine Roll (pack of 4) (£3.00). These were good-sized rolls that my partner particularly enjoyed using for a sandwich for his lunch. They were fresh inside with a good crusty outer which would also make them great for dipping in soup - I don't like eating soup unless I can enjoy it with some good crusty bread. I could see these being perfect for a BBQ also for those wanting a home for their hot dog.

The last item I received was 2 of the Brazilian Carrot Cake slice (£1.30). It was a generous sized slice perfect as a sweet treat. My partner loves carrot cake so was excited when this turned up. He liked the spongey and moist texture of the cake and the flavour packed within and the melted chocolate chips topping the cake off nicely.

I have been really happy with the products I received from the Incredible Bakery Company, all of which were fresh, tasty and a welcome change to some of the other gluten-free brands I've had in the past. There is a good selection of products available at a reasonable price, with UK wide delivery available making it accessible wherever you are located. They sell multiple brands on the website too, like the Gluten-Free Pie Company which I really need to try out in the future. If you need gluten-free or vegan products, or even if you don't have a dietary requirement, I would definitely recommend checking out what they have to offer and you won't be disappointed.

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AD/PR Sample | Making A Chocolate Hazelnut Sundae With Valsoia Ice Cream From Ciao Gusto

I'm always open to trying new food items as I love discovering new products. I was recently contacted about trying out a Valsoia product from the new Ciao Gusto range. They offer a collection of all your favourite authentic Italian food and drink items that can now be bought on Ocado to make shopping for them super easy. There is a Ciao Gusto Shop area on Ocado where you can search through ingredients and products from over 30 of Italy's most popular brands such as Ponti, Barilla, Valsoia, Lavazza, and more which can be easily added to your basket when ordering. I picked up the Valsoia Chocolate & Cream Soya Ice Cream to make something exciting while trying out one of their new Italian products. Regular dairy ice cream doesn't tend to sit well with me and I've found that I don't get a reaction when having a dairy-free ice alternative so I will tend to choose this option when it's available. Since turning vegetarian just over a year ago I've found that there is a whole new world filled with different products to try out and this product is no exception.

The Valsoia ice cream is dairy-free Italian Gelato that is naturally lactose-free, gluten-free, and 100% plant-based which also makes the product vegan. It is half chocolate and half vanilla which is perfect if you want to have a bit of each. My partner has always been a big fan of ice cream sundaes and will always choose this as a dessert in restaurants even though dairy doesn't tend to sit well with him either. I thought making one of these would be a perfect combination for both of us to enjoy. We've tried a variety of non-dairy ice creams before and some haven't been the best as there was just something missing compared to your normal dairy ice cream. To create this sundae dessert, I started by adding a generous scoop of melted hazelnut white chocolate spread at the bottom of the glass and a good squeeze of Belgian chocolate sauce. I then added alternating chocolate and vanilla scoops of the Valsoia Chocolate & Cream Soya Ice Cream to fill up the glass and then finished it off with more Belgian chocolate sauce and a Kinder Bueno bar.

You can see the result above and I have to say I was really impressed with how it tasted. This ice cream was so nice and creamy I would not have thought it was a dairy-free version. I know it is gelato which is a bit different from ice cream but I would have never guessed it would taste this nice, and I am a bit shocked, to be honest. So many dairy-free products have a lingering taste of coconut which I dislike, but trust me when I say this, the fact that I can have gelato and it be kind to my stomach is never a sentence I ever thought I would type. I would definitely buy this again and would recommend trying this even if you don't normally go for dairy-free ice cream. The flavour was great and it was perfect to use for making a sundae and would also be good to enjoy on its own or added to the side of other desserts. With the ingredients, I used it was a vegetarian dessert, but you could swap out the additions if you wanted to make it vegan. I did also pick up the Valsoia Soya Drink too in case I felt like making a milkshake, which you could do if you're not a sundae person. If you'd like to check out more about the Ciao Gusto product range, you can find it on their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest pages.

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AD/PR Sample | Birthday Gifts From Moonpig

Birthdays have been a little different this year for a lot of people so we've not been spending them the way we normally may do. I've recently celebrated my own birthday and had to think about what I'd like to do, as I am limited due to shielding at the moment. It was a nice surprise when I was contacted by Moonpig who wanted to send me some goodies to help with enjoying my birthday. Moonpig allows you to order cards for many occasions and these can also be personalised to the recipient, whether this is photo cards where you can upload your own images, or personalise the design of the card already created. They also offer a range of unique gifts as well as flowers, so you should be able to find something suitable. These items can be ordered at the same time as any card, and you can choose to have them delivered to yourself to give to someone in person or have them delivered directly to the recipient, which could be particularly useful with the current situation we find ourselves in.

To start my birthday celebrations this year I went pumpkin picking with some of my family which I absolutely loved. I've always enjoyed Halloween so being able to go and pick my own pumpkins has started to become a little tradition around my birthday. Last year I went on my actual birthday but this year we went slightly earlier as the sun was shining, and when you are wandering around a big field it helps if it's not raining! I also wanted to go when it was a little quieter given the current pandemic. After bringing back the wheelbarrow full of pumpkins I have been arranging them and deciding where to pop them in the house to decorate and I ended up creating a Halloween themed spread on my living room coffee table which turned out great in time for my birthday. On the day we ordered some pizza and had a film night with the family in my household, and yes it was a Halloween film.

The first item I received from Moonpig was the Rainbow Cake Kit (£12.00) that looks like it's going to create an amazingly bright and colourful cake. It gives you almost everything you'll need to bake the cake, all you need to get is some eggs, butter and milk to add. I've not baked the cake yet as I need to swap out the food colouring for some vegetarian safe ones, but once I've got these it's going to be a fun activity to do and I'm sure my little sister will enjoy baking this with me, and she will no doubt enjoy eating it too. The second item I received was the Chocolate Indulgence Wicker Tray (£25.00) that contained a selection of chocolatey goodies. My tray contained Honeyrose Bakery Organic Triple Chocolate Cookies, Divine Cocoa - which would be perfect for hot chocolates or baking, Ritter Sport Butter Biscuit and Lily O' Brien's Petit Indulgence Collection. If you enjoy chocolate then one of these trays are perfect.

It's not just food items that Moonpig offer, as I also received a Miss Patisserie 'Happy Birthday' Gift Set (£15.00) which contains four good-sized fizzing bath bombs and are 100% vegan and part of the Moonpig vegan range. I love their colours and glittery effect and can't wait to see what they look like in the bath. The last item I received was The Red Anthurium Plant (£24.00) which is a nice household plant that is easy to care for can brighten up your room. It comes in a white plant pot so it ready to pop wherever you desire. That's it for my Moonpig birthday gifts. As I mentioned earlier it was a lovely surprise to receive these in the post to help celebrate my birthday this year. They have so many options to choose from that whatever the event, you should be able to choose ideal cards, gifts or flowers to give to your loved ones or friends.

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Celebrating What Would Have Been Our Wedding, Under Lockdown

On the 16th of May 2020 it would have been our wedding day. But thanks to Coronavirus, it was cancelled. We decided to celebrate anyway and have a lot of fun with it. It wasn't a sad day for us at all. We got dressed up and took photos and had a lot of fun. We listened to some songs and picked out our first dance song, which has changed since the original one we had picked in University, which was Twenty One Pilots cover of the Elvis Presley song 'Can't Help Falling In Love'. We have decided to definitely have that feature somewhere during the wedding somewhere.

We dressed up nice to take some photos because I did not want photos of me in pyjamas to go on Instagram, even if I do refer to them as my 'workwear'. Andy wore a navy suit that he's had for quite a few years but doesn't wear often so it looks brand new. He also wore the tie clip that I had bought for the original wedding, with the date 16.05.2020 inscribed on it. He has since decided that he is going to wear it on our new wedding as a nod to the original date but also because it looks nice and he is not about wasting money. I had already bought some nice dresses from Chi Chi London for multiple events I was supposed to be attending this year, which all but one have since been cancelled. I straightened my hair twice, but it kept frizzing up so I left it as it was. We then went back into the living room and played our new favourite game, Dead By Daylight Mobile. I had bought the PC version a while ago when it was on a discount on Steam, but my laptop can't run it. It's fine with The Sims and all the expansion packs I've been collecting since September 2014, but this game it does not like. But the new mobile version means me and Andy can both play so every evening now we have a 1-2 game time which is nice. No this is not sponsored, we just really like the game.

Andy went out to the shops, as he was finally allowed out after a 14-day quarantine after I had an unexpected trip to hospital in April. He bought us a red velvet cake which I love, and we cut that with the cake slice device that his Grandma Peggy bought us for our housewarming. We very cringelly (is that even a word?) fed each other a slice like you might do at a wedding. Notice how I made Andy's piece a lot bigger than mine. After this we had a healthy picnic with some of our favourite foods. We had a salad, cheese barms, beetroot and pickled onions which are my favourites, sliced canteloupe and honeydew melon, crisps, houmous and carrots. Since I went vegetarian last year, I've enjoyed eating different foods and trying them out. Later on, we ordered a curry from our favourite takeaway 'Landmark Indian Restaurant' in Liverpool. We had Quron Massala, Quorn Passanda, pilau rice, garlic naan and a poppadom each. We couldn't have rounded the day off without this. All in all, it was a lovely day. You can read about what it's like to cancel your wedding in this post here.

Why I've Gone Vegetarian

I feel like this has been such a long time coming and I can't exactly find the reason it's taken until now, but anyway I'm now a vegetarian. The week of my birthday I just felt this need to turn veggie for some reason and the first two days I was toying with it I failed because I obviously hadn't prepared for this. At the start, I didn't put any pressure on myself and said I would still have a meat Christmas dinner two months later if I wanted and it didn't have to be forever. The first full day I was veggie was the 18th October 2019 and it seemed to settle that voice in my head telling me to turn veggie. I still have messed up since then, I had prawn crackers and I didn't know they actually contain prawn, I thought it was a flavouring. I had some Fruit Pastilles and totally forgot they had gelatine in them. I also recently had pesto on some ciabatta and didn't realise that parmesan cheese isn't vegetarian. So I'm still learning and it's not a straight road but it's definitely something I feel more content with.

When I was a fussy eater and when I was around 7 I remember not wanting bacon butties on the weekend anymore, then I stopped wanting fish fingers when I had a Happy Meal. My whole childhood and most of my adulthood I've really disliked the texture of a lot of meats. I wouldn't eat roasted beef, lamb, pork or similar meats off of a joint of meat. I never ate duck because ducks are cute. I never really liked a lot of seafood and only really tried cod/haddock again after the whole fish finger thing about two years ago. Andy warned me not to try prawns because they can pop in your mouth and the thought of that made me feel a bit sick. In 2019 I seemed to have a few nasty experiences with chicken and it really put me off. So throughout the year, I'd been eating Quorn instead. We'd been having veggie stir frys for quite some time now and I'd stopped eating gammon because I just never felt like it. So I'd been a 'flexitarian' for probably the last 5 years now so it finally came to a head and I decided to be a vegetarian.

I decided not to go vegan for a few reasons. The first being that as someone with disabilities and often needing to have pre-packaged food, the options are limited for me. Although companies are now introducing a lot of vegan foods, in some places there are not always accessible options. The second reason is that a lot of vegan foods substitute eggs with banana when baking from what I've seen and I can't eat bananas as I have an intolerance to them. This also counts for a lot of vegan options that include mushrooms which I'm intolerant to as well. The last reason is that I do enjoy making brownies and cakes and I just don't feel the want or need to have to give them up or change them when I only have them on special occasions anyway. The last reason is that some Quorn and other meat substitutes contain egg in them and where I live there are still limited meat alternatives on the shelf already so I don't want to limit myself too much. As someone with disabilities, I can't cook often and when I can it needs to be quick or something not too hard to do as I have a lot of problems with my wrists and some full vegan meals can be challenging for me to make.

I'm really enjoying being vegetarian so far, and we went to our wedding tasting meal in November and I tried the 'allergy/dietary requirement' 3-course meal which was gluten, dairy, meat etc free and it was lovely. There are a few people who have helped with recommendations for foods to try which I'm thankful for, and although I still encourage Andy to eat meat and that I don't want him to ever feel like I'm wanting him to be vegetarian, he is loving some of the veggie options we've been eating together. He's decided to label himself as a flexitarian and has recently written about this on his blog. Here's to trying more veggie food in 2020!