Grub Club Cambridge at The Rupert Brooke

May’s Grub Club was held at the lovely Rupert Brooke in Grantchester; The theme being a Pinksters delight, as part of the wonderful Eat Cambridge Festival.

How lucky we were, a great turn out with amazing food (extremely scrumptious may I add) and fabulous foodie company. We had a rosey old time, networking with a delicious Pinkster G&T in one hand a great conversation following from the other. The food was exceptional, each course reflecting a hint of Pinksters Gin; an ode to the marriage of gin and fresh raspberries.

Pinkster Gin was founded by the lovely Stephen. The birth of this delicious Gin all came about after founder Stephen was told by doctors to stop drinking wine. Not quite ready to give up the juice, Stephen turned his attention to spirits and started experimenting at home, mashing assorted fruits with different spirit strengths to come across the winning combination of gin and raspberries.

*Drool alert*  And now I shall talk you through the courses… The Rupert Brooke did an amazing job, everything was delicious and masterfully created. We started the evening with a Pinkster cured salmon with, granité, avocado mousse, Pumpernickel lime & radish dressing ……it was picture perfect!

Then we went onto a Juniper & Pinkster Gin cured duck + pickled blackberries balsamic with Pain d’épice & baby spinach – the duck was beautifully pink. The delicious food was followed by a talk given by Stephen about his trials and tribulations and advice to our foodies.

The inspiring talk given by Stephen focused on the themes of persistence and maintaining face behind your brand. We were reminded of the importance of taking part in trade shows and engaging with customers, not just focusing your efforts upon buyers and chasing up leads… although that is important! The members of the public whom you have a little chat or a joke with, not only add a little fun to your day and drive support and custom…but you never know who that particular customer could be in cahoots with they could be best friends, married or family members  to those big influential buyers out there. To get a good introduction to an influential foodie like that is priceless! Therefore it is important to put all your efforts into everyone you meet, there are opportunities everywhere!

The desert was a beautifully plated in an abstract manner, it was a sorbet with exciting textures dotted around the plate. It was made up of Grapefruit curd, arlette pastry, Pinkster Boozy Berries berry sorbet and G&T espuma – The sorbet being probably one of the best I have ever tried!

The evening ended with a great bundle of goodie bags – and not forgetting Ali’s Nordic Bakes!- Her delicious warm cushion like savoury and sweet pierogies. They were lovingly stuffed with Pinkster and Juniper cured salmon with a fennel and apple cream. And the sweet being a Pinksters Boozy Berry custard pierogies were a tasty goody to enjoy at the end of the evening.

What a rosey old time we had, welcoming in the Pinkter gin with a mischievous grin!