Panoramic, Wirral Farmers' Market

Recently I was at the launch of Panoramic restaurant. Already booked up until the end of March, it is no surprise when you see the views from this new place which is on the 34th floor of the West Tower in Brook Street. Andrew and I had a good nose through the menu, which is fairly eclectic at first glance and shows the influences of the chefs, who herald from the London Carriage Works. It will be interesting to see how the unusual combinations pan out (no pun intended). At the launch we just got canapés, sweet and savoury at the same time, a slightly strange combination. So I am looking forward to going back to try it out properly. It was also great to catch up with old friends and meet some new. Bumped into Jane Casson, from Made in Cheshire, who is starting a foodie spot on CityTalk radio on Fridays. She has a great personality and it will be well worth tuning in for. The biggest selling point for Panoramic – the highest restaurant in the country – is obviously the views, which were knock-out breathtaking, and with the place booked up to the end of March before it even opened it looks like a sure-fired success. Now I just have to work out how to get a booking! www.panoramicliverpool.com

In the same week, we also had the mayor’s reception at the town hall in Wirral to celebrate the success of Wirral Farmers’ Market and the fact it had won the BBC Radio 4 Food and Farming Awards for the best of its kind in the UK.
Mary of Mary’s Cakes and Barbara of Neston worked tirelessly and produced a fantastic buffet using produce from the farmers’ market, rather than the usual lacklustre offerings you often get at these events. So we can’t thank them enough for everything they did. We also drank local cider, beer and apple juice and though we couldn’t find any local wine, we made sure it was wine from an ethical company, which gave money to preserving the Wetlands. www.wirralfarmersmarket.co.uk

Lots of foodie things are in the offing, which I hope to be able to reveal soon.