Aiden Byrne at the Hilbark

[david goodfellow]

When I booked the table on Monday I asked the same question, and was told "About a month".

Back in August I was told "It will be up soon".

Hmmm.

I love looking at menus on websites, just to get an insight, and get the juices flowing, and sometimes choosing what I want to eat.

Come on Hilbark, get it sorted.

Please.

[sped98]

I Love looking at Menus and restaurant websites myself David ...lunch break browsing.Aiden is no doubt running around like a madman managing 2 places at once but i understand that there`s a website on the way, Im more than sure it`ll be good for business.

As for the camera , Im thinking point n shoots are definitely the way forward for "food on plate " shots , they just dont seem to fail.Ive just bought into the Canon EOS market and also purchased 4 different lenses hoping to "up my game" and get better quality pics but so far im on a loser and have put the camera under my seat and used my fuji, the pics were a total disaster and unusable.I was at Fraiche a few weeks ago and the lighting was coloured and not good for pics but the fuji saved the day ( see Fraiche pics on flickr)

Im not giving up on the EOS just yet though as ive been getting good outdoor pics from it for my blog ( cumbriafoodie.wordpress ) Next spring the new Fuji finepix hits the market so thats D-Day for the decision.

If you want to see what a Canon can do for restaurant pics then look at Londoneater blog , some awesome pics on there.

Cheers

Alan

[nickloman]

Think about the lens rather than the camera. A high-quality, well-made lens with a wide maximum aperture (f/2.0 or better - smaller number = larger aperture) is what you want. The kit lenses that come with DSLRs, and the lenses built-in to most point-and-shoots are slow and poor quality.

A fast lens will let you take pictures in low-light situations without flash, ideal for flattering food.

For point-and-click cameras the Panasonic DMC-LX3 or DMC-LX5 are great bets as they have a very high quality f/2.0 Leica lens (it is essentially a rebadged Leica).

For DSLR systems a prime lens (i.e. not a zoom) such as the Sigma 30mm/1.4, Nikon 50mm/1.8, Canon 50mm/1.8 etc. are good options which are both high quality and relatively inexpensive. Ensure that your settings permit a high maximum ISO to be chosen for when it is really poorly lit. Fast lenses also let you through the background out-of-focus, creating more interesting and attractive shots. Long macro lenses (say 105mm) are also great for food shots as you can really capture the finer details.

Basically you are battling the low lighting conditions in most restaurants so you need as much light gathering capacity as possible.

Have a read of the tutorials on http://www.photo.net/ for much more detail.

[david goodfellow]

Thanks very much for your advice folks, much appreciated. I will keep plugging away, the picture quality will surely improve. Its only a matter of time.

Back on to his food. I may just try cooking a dish or two from his book this week.

[Gary Marshall]

He gone.

[david goodfellow]

Shock, Horror, your right.

"With immediate effect"

Stuart Warner and Jenny Thoden (Aiden's Head and Sous Chef) are in charge of the kitchen now.

Bloody good they are too.

[Harters]

So, when back in the summer, there was all this talk of him working towards a Michelin star for the Hillbark, this was just a load of old pony?

I see that his new pub veneture will offer fish and chips, along with what are descibed by Caterersearch as "more refined" dishes. I think I'll pass, thanks.

Edited December 2, 2010 by Harters (log)

[david goodfellow]

I'm slipping up a bit here. Just clicked on to the much improved chefs website Staff Canteen and low and behold Aiden does not want a Michelin star anymore, and admits he was a bit of a pr-ick before, but has now changed.

He cites a "lengthy relationship"

with Hilbark (sounds like most marriages)

Looks like he is going for the most profitable route, "gastropub". (bit like the Northcote guys)

Well I'm bloody miffed now, my prediction will not come true

Good luck to him.

[Harters]

Interesting link, David.

Dated all of 9 days ago. You really have to wonder what has gone on since Tuesday last week.

[MaLO]

The pub he is taking over used to be called the black horse - then got tarted up and a new name, the collingwood. Never been - I did look once for New Years Eve but it was one of those places that seemed to charge plenty of £, too much to be even close to value for money. I never heard anyone pass comment, positive or otherwise. I didn't go.

A church green type place can only be a worthwhile addition to the options locally as long as the prices are pitched towards good pub food rather than "fancy" restaurant. Some of the church green prices are eye watering for a pub; some are pricey for a starred restaurant!

I suppose if the Hillbark team stay and build on the start they have had and the new place is good then it’s a win win.

I wonder how long the remaining Hillbark team will stay.

Edited December 2, 2010 by MaLO (log)

[LindaK]

We've started a new topic on the Hillbark under the new team: the Hillbark, on Wirral

[Harters]

The pub he is taking over used to be called the black horse - then got tarted up and a new name, the collingwood.

Apparently he's now left the Collingwood. His latest wheeze is the "British Grill" at the Craxton Wood Hotel, near Chester.