Cambridge’s Five Foodie Must-haves for July

This month’s five foodie must-haves, brought to you by Velvet Magazine, the leading Cambridge lifestyle magazine.

The Oyster Lab Cambridge

1. Book It

Founded “not to enter a market, but to create one”, Cambridge’s Oyster Lab is fast becoming famous for its inventive flavours: think peri peri, madras, marsala, southern fried. . . Popping up at Cambridge Cookery every Wednesday and Cafe Foy every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening through July and August, “you really can’t find some of the flavours we do anywhere around the country,” explains chef Henry Paul, who founded the roving oyster bar – the only one in the city – in October. “We always serve a classic styled oyster on our menu, but alongside that we have an ever-changing inventory of flavours.”

Book it here:  @oysterlabcambridge

Il Mercato, Cambridge

2. Shop It

Billed as “a destination for any food lover wanting to taste their way around the Mediterranean”, Il Mercato has opened its doors in Cambridge’s Grafton. Stocked with specialist produce sourced from Italy, Greece, Spain and Portugal, from meats and cheeses to coffee, pasta and sweet treats, the delicatessen is the latest foodie launch from Alex Signorelli, brains behind Signorelli’s, the Italian deli/eatery on Burleigh Street, and La Piazza, the cafe/bar also in The Grafton.

Shop online : Il Mercato

The Bake Place, Cambridge

3. Order It

“There’s never a bad time for cake.” That’s the ethos behind Cambridge company The Bake Place. Launched just last month by Oakington’s Jessica Skelton – a pastry chef who’s spent the last 12 years in University of Cambridge college kitchens, perfecting everything from tea table staples to the finest French fancies – it offers homemade-to-order sweet and savoury treats. Making classics super-fresh from scratch, using her professional skills and only the best ingredients, including eggs from her parents’ flock of garden chickens, “the Bake Place offers cakes for the everyday,” adds Jessica.

Order online : The Bake Place 

The Wine Rooms, Cambridge

4. Drink It

Described as “a truly inspirational destination venue that has a relaxed vibe but with quality and seasonality at its heart”, The Wine Rooms has just opened on Cambridge’s Hills Road. Alongside a list of “interesting and niche wines, fine and rare bottles, and for those hard to find gems, an off-site fine-wine cellar that can be called upon at 24 hours notice”, there’s also a “small but focussed, seasonal menu” with matching in mind, explains the man at the reins, John Jaswilowicz. Whether you’re enjoying an impromptu evening for two or a private party in the cellar, which can accommodate 20+, seasoned sommeliers are on hand to advise.

Be inspired : The Wine Rooms

Daniel Clifford-Foodies Festival Cambridge

5. Diary It

With headliners including Great British Menu veteran Daniel Clifford, of Cambridge’s two Michelin-starred Midsummer House, and Tristan Welch, Saturday Kitchen stalwart and chef/director at the city’s Parker’s Tavern, the line-up for this month’s Foodies Festival is looking delicious.

Returning to Parker’s Piece from July 23 to 25, after last year’s Covid hiatus, event highlights include The Cake & Bake Theatre, where Great British Bake Off’s Hermine will be among the chefs demoing everything from old-school lemon drizzle to gluten-free and vegan treats; The Drinks Theatre, where you can sample new wines, champagnes and cocktails; and The Kids Cookery Theatre, where little ones can learn to make food for a teddy bears’ picnic. Plus there will be a street food zone, artisan produce market, arts and crafts tent and fun foodie challenges, including a chilli eating contest, too.

Get it in the diary : Foodies Festival

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