onionbagblog

Monday night in Wivenhoe and we had our first Jardine Bistro experience with a very kind invite to attend the launch of the Andy Brooke Untouched Photography exhibition in the main bar area.

Back in the day and the old boozer on the Belle Vue Road corner was part of the Wivenhoe Run for Essex undergraduates. I have little memory of drinking at the Park Hotel, but geographical knowledge tells me that my alcohol thirsts must have been served, en route from The Flag at the top of the town, all the way down to the Rose and Crown.

How times have changed. With the Park Hotel now joining the list of long lost Wivenhoe pubs, it’s a big local hello to the Jardine Cafe and Bistro. “European café culture meets the contemporary British cuisine” is the claim. The spirit of the old Park Hotel is served with a well stocked bar.

I know that opinion regarding the opening of Jardine has caused a few local planning problems. The proof however is most certainly in the pudding. Any doubting locals simply need to sample the cuisine, fine wine and charming company on offer, to be convinced of the benefits that this latest local business can bring to the town.

Wivenhoe is a place where the people like to eat and drink out. From Papa’s Chip Shop, the curry house, the Bakehouse and now Jardine, there is a local food chain of options to suit all tastes and budgets. What would you rather have - a bustling high class eatery, or yet one more pub lost forever to residential accommodation?

Running throughout November on the Belle Vue Road corner is a classy photography exhibition by local artist Andy Brooke. As well as teaching photography at the Colchester Sixth Form College, Andy also offers a stained glass making service, as well as having a keen eye for local photography.

His ambitions lead Andy to shoot raw, and offer up prints that haven’t been Photoshopped. It’s an approach that would lead me to fall flat at the first hurdle, but the black and white imagery currently on display at Jardine is simply stunning.

The high class photography is the prefect partner for the high class menu. Cost needn’t be a barrier to appreciating the exhibition though. Open from 10am each morning, you can buy a coffee for only £1.20 at the bistro. I’d of course recommend that you stretch the budget a little further and take in a pastry or two as well.

There is a serious commitment that has been taken on board by Christian, the charming proprietor. He has had to overcome many local issues in order to simply start trading. We should be supporting local businesses right now, especially so with the plans that Christian has to involve the local community.

The first of a Cafe Politico debating society starts next Monday. Academics from up the road at the University are leading the sessions. The idea is to explore contemporary political themes in the relaxing environment of Jardine. Local cooking clubs are also a future possibility.

I’m not suggesting that the students from the campus will adopt Jardine as part of the traditional Wivenhoe Run, but then the Park Hotel back in the day was more of a convenience stop, en route to the alcoholic delights on offer down towards the Quay.

Jardine is very much my #hyperlocal establishment, and for this reason alone, I shall be supporting it.

Chin chin.