boti’s weekend guide: do, eat, shop

We’re getting our weekend started with some drinks at the lovely new L’Atelier du Vin site, which opened last Thursday (sorry, we’ve already bagsied the sofa). Those guys have been busy – have you heard about their latest collaboration? You could take yourself on a Gin Journey; the brilliant One Bum Cinema Club is on until the end of February and this Sunday is the Brighton Half Marathon. Local samba band Barulho will be entertaining the crowds where Grand Avenue, Hove, meets the seafront. Some of Team BOTI may even be running it, so if you feel like a refreshing little shower, please come along and support us! It kicks off from (and ends at) Madeira Drive at 9.30am, they said optimistically. There will even be a penny farthing parade to lead runners out!

Back to the guide: you may notice that we’ve revamped it a little bit to include an eating and shopping option. Each week, we’ll feature a restaurant we love that you may not have tried yet as well as a shopping suggestion. We definitely don’t want to encourage over-consumption but we also want to highlight and support local brands producing amazing products. As ever, these are all highly curated and we only recommend things we genuinely love. Have a scroll – we’d love to know what you think!

tribe-axe-throwing-brighton
Axe and you shall receive
We’re always looking for new ways to destress (boxing at RoxLife does it for us in case you’re interested) and throwing an axe, strangely, just happens to tick that box. You can hire a lane for a 90-minute tournament session at the North Laine Pub, which will see someone (you?) crowned the oh-so-desirable title of Chief Axe Thrower of the day. You’ll learn the age-old art of throwing an axe before your skills are put to the test against up to 11 other people. And, don’t worry, there’s no chance of doing an inadvertent Lizzie Borden as the lanes are surrounded by cages.
Wednesdays to Sundays, various times; £20 per person
Tribe Urban Axe Throwing, North Laine Pub, 27 Gloucester Place, Brighton

tribeaxethrowing.co.uk

golden-pineapple-brighton
Make Margarita magic

This Saturday is not just any Saturday, this Saturday is… drumroll, please… Margarita Day! We know, you’re falling over your boots with excitement. Well, get excited for real because one of our favourite cocktail bars has whipped up some super-special cocktails in honour of this auspicious day. What’s more, the talented people behind TIaloc Brighton (if you haven’t been yet, you need to), will be serving up some of their mouthwatering Mexican tacos and quesadillas. Yum.
Saturday 22nd February, from 5.00pm; free entry
Golden Pineapple of Ship Street, 14 Ship Street, Brighton BN1 1AD

lucy-yak-brighton
Viva la vulva

Dungaree superstars Lucy & Yak are hosting a launch party for their fabulous new Vulva collection. Yes, you read that right. Half the population has one, so we should be able to have honest conversations about them, right? Sadly, there’s still a stigma surrounding gynaecological anatomy and periods, which this inspired collection seeks to eliminate. First the panel: From a Vulva Perspective will celebrate vulva diversity with various experts discussing all things vagina and raising awareness of period poverty. Then the party: there will be a stonking DJ set from Gal Pals founder Xandice, cupcakes from the heavenly Cielo Bakery, drinks from LemonAID and a cheeky installation from creators Sanna Suvi (who collaborated on the dungarees) and Sophie Molyneux. All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Homeless Period Brighton – bring sanitary products to donate, too, if you can. The ticket price covers entry to both events but not a pair of the brilliant limited-edition dungarees. For every pair of those they sell, one pack of period products will be donated to their partner charities to help tackle period poverty in the UK and 5% of sales will be donated to Eve Appeal, a UK charity funding research into gynaecological cancers. Look good and do good: win win!
Saturday 22nd February, 5.30pm – 7.30pm; £5.98
Lucy & Yak Brighton, 101A Gloucester Road, Brighton BN1 4AP
lucyandyak.com

BOTI EATS AT…

kindling-restaurant-brighton
Kindling
Opening on East Street just before Christmas, the Kindling crew have a land, sea and plant approach to their menu. We visited the calm and welcoming space recently and ate from their plant options and let us tell you: every bite was delicious. It’s always a joy when vegan and vegetarian options are given equal weight on the menu rather than added as a hasty afterthought. Kindling excels in inclusivity and we love them for it.

We’d particularly recommend the Jerusalem artichoke and almond soup with Sussex truffle (the perfect flavour combo) and the whole roast cauliflower with caramelised hazelnut, wild fennel and caper dressing. This show-stopping beauty of a dish deserves its own column. It’s a great one to share, but it’s good enough to wolf down on your own. No prizes for guessing which route we took. The lovely pickled carrot also deserves a shout out: served with star anise, carrot kraut, lovage and carrot jus, this homage to all things carrot was truly lovely. 54 carrot gold if you will.

And, in line with our mantra of ‘you can never have too many potatoes’, we couldn’t resist the fries with tangy house ketchup. In fact, every plant dish on the menu was delicious, so you’re in safe hands. And we can confirm that their meat and fish offerings are also spot on (the duck dumplings with quince are oh-so-tasty).

Make sure you’ve got room for pud and get stuck into their dark chocolate mousse with spiced orange. It lured us in with its siren cocoa call, delivering a deliciously festive punch in these winter months.

Kindling: putting fire in our bellies since December 2019. Delicious.

Open daily, except Tuesdays, midday – 3.00pm and 5.30pm – 10.00pm  
Kindling, 69 East Street, Brighton, BN1 1HQ
kindlingrestaurant.com

BOTI BUYS…

myriad-spotlight-brighton
Spotlight Books from Myriad Editions
Look at them! Aren’t they gorgeous! Well, not only are these colourful little books perfect shelfie fodder, each one is also a bloody great read. The wonderfully varied collection is a collaboration between independent publisher Myriad, Creative Future and New Writing South, giving under-represented writers the chance to get their brilliant voices out there. From Georgina Aboud’s Cora Vincent, a beautifully told story of small victories, to Jacqueline Haskell’s Stroking Cerberus, a collection of thought-provoking and humorous poetry, every single book is a perfect little gem.

You can buy them direct from Myriad or snap up signed copies in Brighton Waterstones and support these inspiring and exciting new voices.

Spotlight Books (£5 each or £25 for all six – go on, they look great together!)