DreamWorks Lights, Liverpool

“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift… that’s why they call it the present” ― Master Oogway

Readers of my usual alcohol themed posts might want to look away now, for this review doesn’t feature a single cocktail. Instead it features Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and Madagascar..… panic not, normal service will resume shortly!

The DreamWorks Lights Lantern Experience has arrived in the UK for the very first time. In fact, right on my doorstep, in the iconic St. George’s Hall in Liverpool. St George's is widely regarded as one of the finest neo-classical buildings in the world. Built in the early 1800s as a space for music festivals and the Civil and Crown courts, the hall has always been at the heart of community life in the city.

Richard Hollis from DreamWorks explains, "We chose Liverpool because it is an iconic city, a true cultural capital known all over the world for its great events and the stunning location of St George’s Hall is the perfect setting for DreamWorks Lights.”

Using my 7 year old niece as a guise, I went along on Sunday to meet Shrek, Alex, Po and friends.

There were over 100 figures on display from the three major DreamWorks films. As we arrived, we were greeted by a huge Shrek peeping out from the top of St. George’s. 

Upon entering the hall, we met a 12m by 12m dragon perched on top of a volcano. The illuminations then took us on a journey through each of DreamWorks best known films while working our way around the vast rooms of the hall. 

Tickets are staged so that there are never too many people walking around at once, meaning you can really enjoy each of the lanterns and can photograph them to your hearts content. 

It didn’t take us too long to work our way around, probably 15 minutes, however, we didn’t stop to watch the two films on display at either end of the hall so it would be possible to stay much longer.

There is also a green screen photo experience and DreamWorks shop to enjoy.

The Christmas markets outside St. George’s proved too tempting and we left the illuminations to get a hot chocolate and some roasted chestnuts. 

It was such a lovely atmosphere walking around both the lantern experience and the Christmas markets. If you’re looking for gift ideas for little ones, this is definitely worth the trip. 

I’d recommend booking tickets in advance via: https://sales.webticketmanager.com//default.aspx?companyid=1701

Belmond Northern Belle with Raymond Blanc

For me, rail travel is the most enjoyable and relaxing mode of transport. When I heard that top Chef Raymond Blanc was hosting a fine dining experience on board the Belmond Northern Belle, I had to book tickets. 

Formerly known as the Orient-Express, Belmond is an expert at providing memorable luxury train journeys. Old-school glamour, vintage carriages and some of the country's finest dining. Together with Raymond Blanc, they have formed the perfect partnership. Blanc being one of the UK’s best chefs, his restaurant Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons has held two Michelin stars for over 30 years. 

My mum is a huge fan of his, having dined at Le Manoir over 20 years ago, so it was easy to decide who to take with me. After a frantic dash through traffic, still with no idea exactly what we would be eating or where we would be travelling to, we arrived at Chester station just before departure at 5.45pm.

We followed a group of very smartly dressed people and found our carriage, Warwick, where we hopped aboard and settled into our seats, safe in the knowledge that we were in for a gastronomic adventure.

Each carriage is named after a British stately home or castle and decorated with art nouveau lamps, mahogany fittings and plush armchairs. Evoking the opulence of 1930s rail travel.

The tables were set with white linen and even had bespoke china and silverware. It felt like we had been transported to a bygone era.

As the train pulled out of Chester station, we were given our menus as well as a glass of Laurent-Perrier Brut Champagne.

No matter how much Champagne we drank, our glasses were never empty, continually being topped up by the serving staff.

The sommelier explained that we would be travelling as far as Derby before making the journey back home. A 130-mile round trip.

A circular tour of the English countryside lasting five hours; the perfect amount of time to enjoy five dishes of Raymond’s finest cuisine.

The canapés arrived, mum had the salmon while I had the cheese, which we nibbled on while admiring the Cheshire countryside.

Shortly thereafter we were offered some homemade bread, both of us chose a miniature baguette in honour of our French host. 

Our first dish arrived, an amuse bouche of Ironbark Pumpkin Soup with Hazelnut Biscotti and Cashel Blue Cheese. 

During the dinner onboard entertainers walked through the carriages entertaining the guests. We were serenaded by The Chanteuse who sang French classics. The train’s resident magician did a good job of impressing us all with his magic balls.

In between, an accordionist played soothing classics. 

Our second course was Leek Terrine with Jerusalem Artichoke and Truffle Dressing. It was delicious and reminded me of a dish I had the first time I visited Paris. It was accompanied by a glass of white wine from Burgundy.

For our main, mum had Braised Jacob’s Ladder with Mashed Potatoes and a Red Wine Jus.

I had the vegetarian option, a truffle and mushroom risotto. Just as we began tucking into our dishes, our host appeared.

Throughout the dinner he walked between the carriages greeting his guests. He said a quick hello but told us that he wanted us to enjoy our mains without distraction and that he would pop back once we had finished. As he walked away he instructed me, “you will enjoy that risotto.” He was absolutely right. 

Our mains were paired with a beautiful glass of red wine, which our waiter topped up frequently. Of all the drinks served, this was my favourite. From the Rhone Valley, it was full-bodied and perfectly complemented my risotto. 

As promised, Mr Blanc returned. He chatted to us for a while, talking about his restaurant and his career. He spoke to my mum about his 14 vegetable gardens at Le Manoir where all his seasonal organic produce is grown. He was an absolute gentleman and gave us a signed copy of his latest book before posing for photographs.

It turns out mum’s old friend, James Humphreys who worked at the Chester Grosvenor, is now the Operations Director of Northern Belle. James told us that Mr Blanc spends more time with the guests than he is asked to and is an absolute gentleman.

 

Mr Blanc set the tone for the evening. Despite the menu being formal, and the costume being black tie, the whole experience was completely relaxing. The serving staff all took time to chat to us as did our fellow diners. We got chatting to a lovely family sat opposite us, a husband and wife and the lady’s parents. They had been on over ten journeys with Belmond, all around the UK. They promised us that the next course would be “the best cheese board you’ll ever have...”

Perfectly timed, the serving team appeared with a large wooden tray which straddled the aisle, resting on tables either side of the carriage.

On it was a selection of gorgeous European Artisan Cheeses, each with their own origin and story, one was so special it is only produced every six months. The cheeses were served with a glass of red dessert wine from Corsica. 

We ended the dinner with Chocolate Marquise with Tonda Hazelnut and Lemon Butterscotch Sauce.

While we were enjoying this Head Chef Richard, who assisted Mr Blanc, walked through the carriage receiving an appreciative round of applause on his way through. 

Just when we thought we couldn’t be impressed any further, the train came to an abrupt halt in the middle of a patch of darkness in the countryside. The lights went off and seconds later a firework extravaganza set off in a neighbouring field. 

It was truly magical sitting on board watching the fireworks in the distance and mum and I promised each other that we’d book on the same journey next year. Definitely the most special train journey I’ve ever taken.

Belmond Northern Belle

Guinness Storehouse, Dublin

‘An Irishman is never drunk as long as he can hold onto one blade of grass and not fall off the face of the earth.’ - Irish proverb

A trip to Dublin wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Guinness Factory. The stout is, after-all, synonymous with Ireland.

The Guinness Storehouse, in St. James’s Gate Brewery, is Ireland’s most popular tourist attraction. It was also named Europe's leading tourist attraction by the World Travel Awards in 2015. Since opening in 2000, it has received over 13 million visitors.

The site has been home to the Guinness Brewery since 31 December 1759, when Arthur Guinness signed a lease for 9,000 years. The operation has since expanded down to the Liffey and across both sides of the street. At one point the brewery even had its own railway and there was a giant gate stretching across St James's St, hence the name, St James’s Gate Brewery. 

Guinness is now one of the most successful beer brands, over 10 million glasses are sold every day around the world. Due to it’s popularity, the brewery created the Storehouse, a seven storey experience dedicated to “the black stuff”. 

Here you discover what goes into the making of a pint of Guinness and learn about the incredible history of the brewery. From production, ingredients and the craft of brewing to transportation and distribution. My personal favourite was a floor dedicated to the history of the brand’s famous advertising campaigns. Tick followed tock….

The seven floors are built around a glass atrium shaped as a giant pint, the world’s largest pint glass. At the base of the atrium lies a copy of the 9,000 year lease signed by Arthur Guinness. 

The ground floor also introduces the stout’s four ingredients (water, barley, hops and yeast). A portion of the barley is roasted to give Guinness its distinctive dark colour and characteristic taste. Although Guinness appears to be black, it is actually a very dark shade of ruby.

After making a wish, we continued our tour of the Tasting Rooms and The Guinness Academy, where we learnt how to pour the perfect pint. Guinness should take 119.5 seconds to pour and should be at a 45 degree angle.

At the top of the atrium is the world-famous rooftop Gravity Bar, the ‘Head of the Pint”, which has 360 degree views across Dublin. Unfortunately I was unable to enjoy a pint myself as the production process means it’s not suitable for vegetarians. Apparently the brewery are planning to alter the production slightly within the next couple of years to make it veggie friendly. Still, the views in the Gravity Bar made our visit worthwhile and my friend was more than happy to drink my pint for me.

Once we’d finished our tour we found this lovely chap waiting outside to give us a tour of the city before dropping us at Temple Bar, where we enjoyed some more of Dublin’s finest beverages. 

If you're planning a trip to Dublin make sure you check out the Guinness Storehouse for yourself. I'd suggest purchasing your tickets in advance via the website to avoid any queues.

www.guinness-storehouse.com