MENU DORSET issue 08 65 pages | Page 18

NEWS Oven Ready L isten carefully and you can almost hear the buzz around the Bournemouth dining scene. The latest opening is Neo. The style is classic grand café brasserie with a dash of Art Deco. The food is inspired by Kevin Viner, Cornwall’s first chef to earn a Michelin star, and makes the most of an indoor charcoal oven, with grilled meat and seafood the stars. Opened in April, it aims to offer a relaxed environment for dining or cocktails. Dishes take in whole lobster in a Thai ginger coriander dressing, roast cod loin in a bouillabaisse broth, or some beef fillet from the Josper oven among lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner menu options. Check out www.neorestaurant.co.uk or call them on 01202 203610 to see when you can sample it for yourself. 18 Spring Green Arbor uses as much organic, Fairtrade and farm assured produce as possible Expect flavours at Neo to be distinct and simple Even more dates for your foodie diary… 30 April: Cranborne garden centre farmers market Delicious local produce and the Wimborne Ukulele Band are playing at midday. 1 May: Dorset Knob Throwing & Frome valley food festival A rbor, the Two AA Rosette awarded restaurant at The Green House Hotel in Bournemouth, has been recognised for the second consecutive year as the most environmentally-friendly eaterie in the UK. The Food Made Good Award for Environment was presented to The Green House by SRA President Raymond Blanc at a London event attended by Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. The judges said: “This hotel really is a green house, sending waste cooking oil to be converted into biofuel, serving filtered water, providing chairs made out of recycled PlayStations, and using pencils made from recycled CD cases. What little food waste it produces is composted and sent to local farms.” The award comes as Arbor launches its new spring menu, which Head Chef Andy Hilton talks us through on page 58. The Green House Hotel’s General Manager Olivia O’Sullivan said: “To win for the second year in a row is a huge honour. It is amazing to have such ongoing recognition from our sustainable heroes within the industry.” More info at www.arbor-restaurant.co.uk. Eat Their Words Our favourite cookbook this month Indian Harvest Classic and Contemporary Vegetarian Dishes By Vikas Khanna (Bloomsbury, £24.99) Even the famously carnivorous Keith Floyd once said he'd give up meat for Indian vegetarian food, and this book from the Michelin star-awarded chef of one of New York’s most highly regarded Indian restaurants, Junoon, could convert many. The vegetables are the star and Khanna knows the spices and techniques to bring out their natural flavours and goodness. The 125 recipes are a mix of handed-down traditional and exciting new dishes, all written warmly and allowing for seasonal substitutions and experimentation. Your veg box will thank you for it. www.menu-dorset.co.uk Enjoy some great local food, but look out for stray, airborne biscuits! Knob throwing rules can be found at: www.dorsetknobthrowing.com 2 may: lyme regis food festival Now in a new location overlooking the Jurassic Coast and hosting a wealth of producers from the region. www.lymeregisfoodfestival. co.uk 7 & 8 may: christchurch food & wine festival A family friendly event with demonsrations, stalls and competitions. For more information about what's on at the two day festival, visit: www.christchurchfoodfest. co.uk Dorset Farmers’ Market Still one of the best ways of buying locally and seasonally. Dates for May 2016 Monday 2: Blandford Georgian Fayre Sat \