kent-life.co.uk46 KENT LIFE February 2015

Bromley is having a facelift. The regeneration of the Bromley South Central area is almost complete, with an estimated spend

of £90 million on the impressive mixed-use development.

The scheme includes a Premier Inn, a multiplex cinema, cafés, restaurants and 200 new apartments – all with a vast underground car park. As well as providing new housing and facilities, it hopes to create new jobs in Bromley and inject millions into the local economy.

But this project is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. In 2010 Bromley Council earmarked several other areas for improvement, including Bromley Village North, the town centre and the civic centre.

It’s all part of the council’s vision to make the town a better, more welcoming and architecturally striking destination.

It will all add to what is already a shopping mecca with an excellent,

Already a shopping mecca and an area attractive to young families,

Bromley is now becoming an architecturally striking destination

Brave new WORLD

WORDS BY: CAROLINE READ PICTURES BY: MANU PALOMEQUE AND COURTESY OF STUART LEABACK

TOWN LIFE: BROMLEY

kent-life.co.uk KENT LIFE February 2015 47

pedestrianised town centre and the huge intu shopping centre.

Bromley is on to a good thing by upgrading because, at just nine miles from London, it’s attracting more young families priced out of the city all the time.

Active BromleyAppealing to professional couples and young families, Bromley is an active area. But if running for the train isn’t enough for them each morning, there is a great range of sports and leisure facilities available.

There are tennis and golf centres, a popular local football club, swimming pools and the Pavilion Leisure Centre (020 8313 9911, BR1 3EF) even boasts its own ten-pin bowling alley.

Local martial arts instructor Paul Finn, from Karasic Kali (0795 8394004), believes there is something for everybody and the great facilities help to encourage even those who wouldn’t usually take up a sport.

“The fitness and sports facilities in

Bromley are very good,” he says. “There are a number of gyms in central Bromley, including the gym at the Pavilion Leisure Centre which is highly affordable and has excellent, up-to-date facilities.

“We have classes in Wing Chun Kung Fu at our Holmesdale Road site, it’s a great way to keep fit and to learn self-defence.

“We find that we attract people from all walks of life, from businessmen and partners in local law firms, to electricians, plumbers and stay-at-home mums. Bromley is not short of active people wanting to get involved in a sport.”

Shopping and eatingThere are more than 100 shops within the walls of the intu Shopping Centre Bromley (BR1 1DN), formerly The Glades. With branches of Boots, M&S, Debenhams and Zara, as well as coffee and snack establishments and a huge multi-storey car park, it’s all there right under one roof.

Recent arrivals to Bromley include White

Things to doTheatres: The Churchill Theatre (0844 7620, BR1 1HA) is like having the West End on your doorstop and there’s also members’-only Bromley Little Theatre (020 8460 3047, BR1 1SB) (see p48)

Green space: Church House Gardens has a lake and rose gardens, Queens Gardens boasts ornamental floral bedding and shrubbery, while Queensmead is a popular recreation ground, complete with a bowling green

Blue plaques: Illustrious past residents included H G Wells and a blue plaque marks his birthplace in Market Square. Thomas Crapper (inventor of the WC ballcock) was also born here, as was musician David Bowie

Culture: Bethlem Hospital (020 3228 4307, BR3 3BX) has a historic art collection in its museum and Bromley museum (01689 873826, BR6 0HH) has a permanent display as well as temporary exhibitions.

PICTURED: Whitehall Recreation GroundRIGHT: Chatterton Arms

BELOW LEFT: Bromley street scene ©artist Stuart Leaback

TOWN LIFE: BROMLEY

kent-life.co.uk48 KENT LIFE February 2015

Stuff (0208466 5903), computer giants Apple (0208 2255500), and diamond merchants Chisholm Hunter (0844 4176058), who have moved into a large building in the town centre.

Venture further afield to Bromley North and you’ll find plenty of shops, pubs, cafés and restaurants, and far from the madding crowd there is the Chatterton village area, which boasts friendly restaurants and several independent shops.

With every kind of chain restaurant you care to imagine in Bromley, there is plenty of choice. Try Ferrari’s Italian restaurant (0208 8464 8877, BR1 1QQ), The Garden Restaurant at the Bromley Court Hotel (020 8461 8600, BR1 4JD) or the Turkish restaurant Havet (0208 2906717, BR1 1NN) for something really exciting.

Indian restaurant Shampan 2 (020 8460 7169, BR2 9QN) has a very good reputation and good pubs include The Chatterton Arms (020 8460 4604, BR2 9QW), The Barrel and Horn (020 8290 2039, BR1 1PW) and The Shortlands Tavern (0208 466 0202, BR2 0EY). In nearby Locksbottom you’ll find the award-winning Chapter One restaurant (01689 854848, BR6 8NF) run by chef and Kent Life contributor Andrew McLeish – it won the title Kent Life and Kent on Sunday restaurant of the year 2014.

My TownEmma Clements, blogger

How long have you lived in Bromley?I’ve lived in Bromley for 11 years and it’s now where I class as home. Having studied and worked in central London and being from the rural north originally, I’m an equal mix of city and country. I find Bromley matches that.

Tell us about your blog.Before becoming a ‘play at home’ mum to two small people, I was an online marketing and social media manager and I really missed the blogging side of things, so I decided to start my own personal one.

I’ve been writing my parenting blog ‘Emma In Bromley’ for six years now and I’m also working on an interiors blog too.

What’s best about Bromley for young families in the area?Bromley is very much a family area. Before having children I didn’t really know many local people, as it was just a handy commute into London, but now I see it as a family home.

I’m always bumping into other mums and it’s such a friendly place to be. There are a lot of classes available for new mums to take their children to – my personal favourites are Baby Sensory and Jo Jingles.

There are also plenty of lovely parks in and around Bromley to take the children.

Your favourite restaurants?I love the Mandarin Palace on Widmore Road (020 8466 0018) – the staff always make an effort to engage the children if we are dining as a family or make sure it’s

Getting thereWith two train stations and central London only 16 minutes away by train, as well as being close to the M25, Bromley is widely accessible.

Sat nav: BR1 1DN (town centre)

Property pricesIt’s expensive compared to many parts of Kent but affordable considering it’s a London Borough. Five-bedroom detached homes start at around £850,000, with three-bed semis costing between £325,000 and £650,000 and two-bed terraced house costing around £320,000. A one-bed flat can be picked up from £100,000.

George Proctor and Partners

(0208 460 4166) and Langford Russell (0208 315 6960) are just two of the many agents specialising in this area.

EventsChurchill Theatre: One Man, Two Guvnors (3-7 February), Peter Pan Goes Wrong (10-14 February), Arcadia (16-21 February) and Anything Goes (23-28 February). Tickets www.atgtickets.com

Bromley Little Theatre: The Elephant Man (13-21 February). Non-members request guest tickets: boxoffice@bromleylittletheatre.org

special if it’s just myself and my husband. And The Papadom (020 8464 2531)

Indian restaurant on Tylney Road will always hold a special place in my heart because it kickstarted both my labours when it was time for my babies to be born!

Your favourite shops?I’m a fan of some of Bromley’s more recent additions: Hema (020 37657 395) is great for bargains and who doesn’t love The White Company (020 37589222)?

The town centre itself lacks many independent stores but Sundridge Park is a little haven of quirky shops and second-hand furniture stores.

Pom Pom (020 8464 6666) has lovely, unusual baby items and the cafés are great – The Pantry (020 83139891) does good coffee and artisan breads while The Lavender House (020 8464 0700) has a great outdoor play area.

To read Emma’s parenting blog, visit: www.emmainbromley.co.uk

Emma Clements, Bromley blogger

GOURMET LIFE

kent-life.co.uk KENT LIFE February 2015 65

RECIPESeville orange Marmalade with Whisky

Ingredients 675g Seville oranges Juice of large lemon 1.4kg sugar 150ml whisky 3 pints of water

Method Cut the oranges in half and squeeze out the juice. Reserve the pips and the membrane and also the peel.

Place the pips and membrane on a piece of muslin and tie into a bag with a piece of string.

Slice the orange peel into thin strips. Put the peel into a pan with the orange and lemon juice and three pints of water.

Add the muslin bag to the pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for one to one and a half hours

At the end of the boiling period the peel should be soft and the liquid should be reduced by half. Scoop out the muslin bag and squeeze out any liquid from the bag with a slotted spoon against the side of the pan. Next, place a saucer in the chiller ready for testing.

Over a low heat add the sugar into the marmalade and gently stir until the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat and boil rapidly for 10-15 minutes. Occasionally stir as necessary until the setting point has been reached. You test for the setting point by placing a spoonful of the marmalade on the chilled saucer. If the surface of the marmalade wrinkles when pushed with a spoon, the setting point has been reached. If it hasn’t, continue to boil and test again after a couple of minutes.

Remove from the heat and skim off any scum with a slotted spoon. Now add the whisky and leave to stand for 10 minutes. Stir again and then with a ladle place into warm clean dry jars. Cover with a disk of greaseproof paper and seal the jar. Leave overnight and then store in a cool, dark, dry place.

Our Chef of the Year 2014 Andy McLeish is seizing the Seville

orange season to make delicious marmalade for breakfast

Cookingwith Andy

WORDS BY: ANDY MCLEISH PICTURES BY: MANU PALOMEQUE

A lazy Sunday at home is very rare for me as most days are spent at the restaurant.

However, on the few occasions I happen to be

home on the weekend, I go into complete relaxation mode after the rugby (and if the kids allow it).

I enjoy going through the papers, putting my feet up with a cup of coffee in hand and for breakfast it’s a few slices of toast topped with marmalade – absolute bliss.

I always make my own preserves throughout the seasons, from plum jam to medlar jelly and marmalade. To be honest, if you make your own you will never buy a shop-bought one again as nothing really compares to that home-made taste and quality. Last year the kids and I went hunting for damsons near our home and we managed to collect enough to make a few large jars of chutney.

Around this time of year I like making marmalade. February is the last month for the Seville orange season.

The season is actually quite short, so I’ll make a few jars that should theoretically last me for the next year but in reality it only lasts a couple of months.

Seville oranges are sour, sometimes bitter. When the bitter flavour is combined

Find out moreChapter One, Farnborough Common, Locksbottom BR6 8NF01689 854848www.chapteronerestaurant.co.ukFollow Andy on @andy23471

Next month: Andy cooks baked wild seabass in a salt crust

with the sugar it creates that wonderful tangy, sharp taste. I also add a dram of whisky, which makes it extra special. Marmalade is simple to make and you only need three ingredients: oranges, sugar and water.

There are many ways you can use marmalade, it’s not only for toast. Try using it in a cake or a steamed pudding or even on French toast with vanilla ice cream (this is making me think that French toast would be good in a future column).

You can also use marmalade to glaze gammon, ham, lamb or even chicken.

My marmalade recipe will make about 2.5kg and should last for months, but once opened you must keep it in a refrigerator. Also, remember to sterilise your jars before filling them. Enjoy – and why not try experimenting with your marmalade. �