A food filled day in Newcastle

I returned home this weekend to see the family after being back in London for a month. I can't believe how fast January has gone. In four months I will be finished my first year at uni, that is crazy and slightly scary! Anyway...I had no plans for the weekend, I just wanted to spend time inside with the weather being so miserable. That would have been perfect, had my parents not chosen to go full steam ahead and refurbish the kitchen. Fed up of the dust, we decided to head out to Newcastle to grab a bite to eat and do a little bit of shopping.

Our first point of call was to 'Laneway & Co'. After following their Instagram page and hearing great things, I was eager to try their coffee. They source their coffee from 'Allpress', a London based coffee company which produce in house roasted beans. I was lucky enough to go to a barista training day at their Dalston site, cupping their Redchurch blench. Laneway & Co sits just off the main Grey Street near the Monument metro stop, so it is fairly easy to find. Inside is kept simple with hanging baskets and a bright interior. There is enough seating inside and a nice outside bench if the weather is on your side. 

We ordered two Flat White's and they were spot on to say the least. Allpress coffee beans have a certain nutty taste to them, when paired with perfectly steamed milk you have a fantastic tasting cup of coffee. Finally some great coffee in Newcastle. I definitely will be returning, I really wanted to try their food menu which looks fantastic! Click here to be taken to their website. 

Caffeinated and ready to tackle the pouring rain we headed to the shops. I didn't really have any places I wanted to visit, however I knew there was a Thomas Sabo shop in Eldon Square. A while back I watched a video on YouTube by Ali Gordon who is a style/lifestyle blogger and he made a look book featuring some Thomas Sabo pieces.  I found a silver bracelet online that caught my eye so I wanted to try it on in the shop. It is really simple in design but has a detailed clasp that makes the bracelet stand out. I went for the size 19 and it fit's perfect. They are actually charm bracelets however I plan on keeping it just as it is. 

After a little bit of retail therapy we headed to 'Pleased to meet you' again on the same street as Laneway & Co. Pleased to meet you is known to be a gin bar however they also serve fantastic food. I have never tried their menu however my Mam has and said it's excellent. 

We chose to order two cocktails, their signature 'Pleased to meet you' and one 'Mary Phillips'. Both gin based cocktails yet so different in taste. Mine had a hind of Disaronno in, which worked so well. You just can't beat a gin cocktail in my opinion.

Now to the food, we went for two sharing boards, or 'Grazing Boards' and they called them. One Mediterranean with a style of mezze dips and sundries and one picnic style with a scotch egg, cheese and sausage roll. They were beautifully presented, having enough selection on each board to not know where to start. 

This style of food is my favourite where you can just graze with a cocktail and not have to tackle a huge meal. Pleased to meet you also have an outside seating area with garden style sheds to sit in as well as a greenhouse, fitting with their botanical style gin menu. Click here to be taken to their site for a full look at their menu. 

So with the rain hammering down, both me and my Mam fit to burst we headed home. It was so nice to be able to get out house for a while, even if we did end up getting completely soaked. 

Thank you so much for reading,

Luke.