10 H&H Series, Thursday April 10, 2014

wine Liz Sagues restaurant of the week This success is no oddity You can’t beat Oddbins buyer Ana Sapungiu has helped the chain to flourish anew battered fish in

n the chequered recent history of what was for so long the favourite good company Ihigh street shop of many committed wine drinkers there remains some stability: for example, the woman currently in Melvyn Bragg joins our reviewer for lunch at charge of choosing Oddbins’ 500- plus bottle range. a new addition to Hampstead’s dining scene Ana Sapungiu joined nearly a decade ago – selling wine in the Balham branch – when control had passed out of independent he old cliché, place is true to the roots of honest hands to giant French company intended to comfort and sturdy English peasant fare, Castel. Through troubled times Jenny Smith, manager of Oddbins in West End Lane Picture: Nigel Sutton wounded and while making a rather cool and she stayed, progressing from store Tsensitive journalists civilised fist of it. manager to sales support at head which gives great value-for-money The latest theme, innovation, is (go ahead – laugh On that broad section of office and most recently to buyer. possibilities. Discounting has about to start. Sapungiu confesses if you must) was that today’s pavement close to Waterstones, Why focus on an individual gone (except for five per cent off a it has been harder than she misquotations, erroneous news there stands a large square and rather than on what is offered dozen-bottle case), which sensibly expected to find truly different or atrociously subbed feature was Mediterranean blue umbrella by the 34 current shops (there favours the majority of customers ideas, but there should be, for tomorrow’s fish-and-chip wrapping – and in the summer, the tables were once almost 300)? Because who want to buy only a bottle or example, a southern French red – so no hack really should get over clustered around it will be hotly Oddbins has always been two at a time. made in a sherry-style solera and het up about it. Except that a new contested. It’s so good just to about people as well as bottles. But in has come innovation. a sparkler sealed by a screw cap. and stupid edict has just been see the place open and running, Sapungiu stresses how present First was the “name your price” Such special efforts apart, enacted – probably by Brussels, actually, because there were owner Whittalls Wine Merchants challenge, when customers all branches carry the 350 core where they wouldn’t know a decent extraordinary delays apparently (part of private alcoholic drinks could choose what they paid for wines, with managers free fish and chips if it battered them due to objections over potential distributor European Food a limited selection of wines. “I to select more from a further in the face – whereby a chippie can cooking odours, these supported – Brokers) has kept as many staff was really sweating behind the tier of 150 according to their no longer recycle old newsprint, uncharacteristically – by the Heath as possible, while applying what scenes,” Sapungiu admits – but customers’ demands. Spain and but must now be doling out plates & Hampstead Society: “pungent appear to be rather sounder she could have stayed cool, as the come hard on the heels of and cutlery. Not that such a ruling and obtrusive smells”, according business principles than those of average offer came within 50p to – where the Rhône and will bother the new Fish Café, slap to them. You may recall that some of its predecessors. 70p of the price Oddbins would good regional wines usurp classic bang at the centre of Hampstead this paper ran a story featuring “I’ve seen Oddbins through a lot have set. bordeaux and burgundy – and Village – because here is a rather Melvyn Bragg campaigning on of changes – and now it’s in the for basic drinking, Oddbins’ more upmarket affair. But – the restaurant’s behalf … and so I best shape I’ve seen,” she told me. Best amateur taster shoppers turn most often to crucially – not too much so: here ask you: who better to invite there So what is the current Oddbins? Currently, the third year of The , Gascony and Chile. is no mini-version of Scott’s. This for lunch? I know from experience A core of 18 shops in London – Palate, the competition to find the These shoppers are not just very easy-going and comforting what an excellent dining including Kentish Town Road, UK’s best amateur wine taster, is loyal regulars from the good old Crouch Hill and West End Lane, in its final planning stages. Last original days. Increasingly, young West Hampstead – plus nine year, 10,000 customers entered; women are joining them (and in Scotland and seven more this year, as the event is rolled out they’ve won both Palate titles so scattered across England. There at a broader list of wine-related far). It means, fortunately, that My starter was presented as if it still were are plans to open more in London happenings, there surely will be the easy blend of informality and beyond, possibly by the end more who want to carry off that and knowledge – and a little 1974: slices of plain tomato and cucumber of this year, but only on the right rather special title. quirkiness – which staff provide sites. And the Oddbins year is divided is still a selling point. Long may surrounding a nicely gooey mound of white crab The range of wines is prompted into themed quarters. was that be so, and long may Oddbins by customer preference and has one successful choice last year, continue to offer an individual and yielding avocado, overlaid with ribbons of raw a clear European bias. Average with some of the featured wines wine experience on the high bottle price is between £8 and £9, now permanently in the range. street. carrot – good flavour, very nostalgic appearance

Find something that is right up your street Log on now or call us on 0845 6714460 Thursday April 10, 2014, H&H Series 11 Joseph Connolly at Fish Café

as Dover sole at £23.50, which you greatest hits of The South Bank mightn’t) along with meat pies, Show: Paul McCartney in the chicken and steaks. I was having very first episode in 1978, singing avocado, crab and mayonnaise Mull of Kintyre – at the time, the salad, battered haddock with the highest-selling single ever. “The same veg as above … whereupon Telegraph was very sniffy: they Melvyn decided he wanted his asked why is Mr Bragg expecting cod similarly battered, rather us to accept The Beatles as art…?” than grilled: wise decision. And He is currently working on more then added on a couple of pickled projects than I can remember: onions. South Bank Show editions on My starter was presented as if Angel Blue (a stunning black it still were 1974: slices of plain American operatic soprano who tomato and cucumber surrounding paid her college fees by winning a nicely gooey mound of white beauty contests and once – crab and yielding avocado, overlaid amazingly – lived in Hampstead) as with ribbons of raw carrot – good well as Simon Russell Beale’s King flavour, very nostalgic appearance. Lear, and Daniel Radcliffe. I asked Melvyn approved of his soup – him if there was anyone he had sprinkled with parmesan – and wanted to feature, but didn’t…? very much enjoyed a large and “Samuel Beckett. He just wouldn’t, silky flaky cod, steaming within a Partially because he had a lisp, you very good batter. My haddock was, know. And Graham Greene. Who if anything, even better: a very fine later was interviewed by someone and fresh fish. I would say that else, the bugger.” And is he just the chips (a mountain of them) concentrating on television…? should have been much crisper … Don’t be silly: the great In Our but these were traditional fish-and- Time radio programme continues, chip shop chips, and I should really and he has just begun a new novel have doused them with Sarson’s, set in the 14th century. I suppose. A petit chablis hit the So: a good old-fashioned fish- spot. and-chip lunch in peerless (?) and amusing company in the latest Favourite restaurants outpost of Rinaldo Mollura’s Melvyn’s favourite London growing empire – the stars being restaurants tend to coincide with two great local landmarks, Villa my own (Wolseley, Sheekey and Bianca and the Coffee Cup. And Joseph with Melvyn Bragg at Fish Café in Hampstead High Street Picture: Polly Hancock so on) though he does eat quite with Fish Café, he has another a lot at the House of Lords (“the hit on his hands: isn’t Hampstead companion he is, we both live just else bleached and evocative of the literally couldn’t – is chancellor Bishop’s Bar, often – where I’ve lucky? down the road … so how much sea: there are oars, a ship’s lantern of Leeds University and has been never seen a bishop”) or else at more villagey do you want it? Also and a very jaunty lifebelt in red, a Labour working peer since 1998. his West End office desk, where he Joseph Connolly’s new novel, Boys on the pavement is an A-board white and blue reading “Fish There’s loads else, but that’ll do: will invariably have a chicken and and Girls, is published by Quercus proclaiming “Fish and chips £5.” Café, Hampstead, London”: rather just to have written it down makes avocado sandwich, a yogurt with (£18.99). All previous restaurant Well blimey: a fresh, hot and filling covetable. me feel quite thoroughly useless berries, an apple and a chocolate reviews may be viewed on the website meal in NW3 for a fiver…? No and idle. brownie – all from Pret A Manger. www.josephconnolly.co.uk. wonder the takeaway side of the Remarkable career As we perused the menu – which “I do,” he admits, “love chocolate.” business is thriving all day long, Lord Bragg of Wigton hardly comes in the form of a place Which he proved by ordering and up till 10.30 in the evening. requires an introduction, mat – Melvyn idly observed that chocolate ice cream – and I had FACTFILE The interior is like a noodle: nor a summation of his truly when this site was the not too a very good apple pie (more of a very narrow, and seemingly remarkable career – but let me distinguished Base, it was the flan – very light, with cinnamon) FISH CAFÉ endless. There is the frying bar say simply that quite apart from favourite of the Arsenal squad and vanilla ice cream. Melvyn does 71 Hampstead High Street, NW3 close to the entrance, and you edge his superb radio and television (of which he is a supporter). I look enviably fit – largely through Tel: 020 7433 1430 past that into the surprisingly work, he has published 21 novels wouldn’t recognise an Arsenal walking. “I will often walk from Open Monday-Saturday noon- generous seating area. I was given and 14 works of non-fiction, player if he fouled me – though Hampstead to the BBC – that takes 11pm, Sunday noon-10.30pm. a good table at the very back, as well as screenplays for Ken that is also true of every other an hour.” He also walks a lot when Food: beneath a witty juxtaposition of Russell films, such as Tchaikovsky footballer on the planet. My guest at his cottage in the Lake District, Service: an actual capstan and Hokusai’s and The Music Lovers. He is the decided quickly: minestrone, which he has owned for 44 years. The Feeling: wave: I’ll be fine here, I thought, recipient of awards, honours grilled cod, chips, mushy peas and “Despite the 50 million annual day- Cost: Fish and chips to take just so long as no one calls me and fellowships that are literally broccoli. It’s a more expansive trippers to the Lake District, you away: £5. Three-course meal for Captain Birdseye. Furniture is countless – I know this for a fact menu than you would imagine: all never see a soul there.” two with wine, about £85. pale and rough-hewn, everything because I tried to count them and the fish you might expect (as well I was reminiscing over the

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