Saturday, May 17, 2025
Blog Page 171

From Sunday paellas to avant-garde tapas at El Rincón

Oliver Hall
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From Sunday paellas to avant-garde tapas at El Rincón

There are so many Spanish restaurants in Oxford so entering into that market, never-mind doing it in the middle of a pandemic, seems crazy. Thanks to a belief in authenticity, community values, and affordably excellent food, El Rincón has built a loyal Summertown following that is primed to explode. Here, chef Juan recognises the difference between authenticity and tradition — classic tapas dishes are present, but alongside his partner Rosaleen, this chef is bringing the cutting edge of Spanish cuisine to the UK.

I visited just a day after returning from Bilbao, the capital of all things pintos and Spanish cuisine. Expectations then were perhaps unfairly high but stepping out of the rain and into the Andalucían-esque bar and restaurant felt momentarily like a brief return to the sun I had been enjoying the previous week. Juan previously worked at Le Manoir Quatre Saisons before breaking away and offering paellas and pintxos on his own at Gloucester Green market. During the second lockdown, he was offered the chance to use the garden of El Rincón as a pop-up location and began offering paella afternoons with his partner Rosaleen. Somewhat remarkably, the pair then took the opportunity to take over the restaurant full-time. What is more, somehow, some way, they have kept their values front and centre and made a success of it.

That authenticity was on show right from the off. As we chatted with Juan and Rosaleen before tucking into lunch, Txakolí and almonds were on offer — apart from the lack of spout for the authentic Basque pouring show, I again felt transported back to Bilbao.

Salmon Roll

The night before, Juan had hosted his first-ever tasting menu evening. These offer guests a chance to experiment with a wide variety of dishes that are at the forefront of contemporary Spanish cuisine. There was salmon left so I was hardly going to turn down a sample! The fish is filled with three different cheeses (Gorgonzola, blue goat’s cheese, and an Italian creamed cheese) from Oxford Cheese Company. These all combined to cancel out their own individually strong flavours and the nature of the salmon meant that it too was able to balance the rest of the dish. A corn emulsion adds textural contrast and the micro salad garnish of garlic and radish brings a sharpness. Now, this dish is completely different to the rest of the menu and what you can expect on your average visit to El Rincón but in so many ways it embodies just what the restaurant is about. The thought behind the dish exemplifies the effort that Juan goes to with everything on offer and the use of high-quality local produce demonstrates the passionate belief in independents supporting independents.

Patatas Bravas

We then moved swiftly on to the more traditional dishes you might expect from a tapas restaurant. Again though, these all carry a slight twist to make them El Rincón’s own. For all my love of complex food, I am a patatas bravas fiend. Sometimes you simply can’t beat some fried potatoes and spicy tomato sauce. The dish varies highly across Spain and pretty much every Spanish chef has a firm opinion on how it should be done. In England, the sauce often contains tomatoes and dilutes the punchy flavour you find in its home ‘país’. Juan has gone on both a literal and culinary journey with his sauce and incorporates elements from across the country including smoked paprika, vinegar, and chilli. The result is a dip just spicy enough (significantly turned down for the English market) that goes brilliantly with the homemade aioli.

Artichoke

The artichoke flowers came next and two gigantic artichoke flowers at that. Pedro Ximenez drizzle brings sweetness and the batter is thin and light to ensure the vegetable shines through just as it should. Next was Bacalao en Tempura and yet again I was at first taken aback by what arrived. Defying Spanish expectations, the cod is beer-battered with Estrella Galicia to create a true amalgamation of cuisine and a kind of Spanish ‘fish and chips’. The kiwi mayonnaise and pumpkin seeds elevate the dish and the use of Icelandic cod means that the fish is thick and meaty in texture.

Tuna two ways

Tuna arrived two ways, both using the high-quality blue-fin variety often neglected in the UK where import prices are higher than ever. The hot dish is grilled and then served with a PX sauce and cucumber chunks. The cucumber contrasts the texture of the fish and the freshness of both is highlighted by the rich sauce. That freshness is more than present too in the tuna tartare. Here, avocado is chopped along with onion and green chilli before serving atop a bed of yuzu seaweed for a real pallet cleanser.

Pulpo a la Gallega, Ortiguillas

Octopus is another one of the El Rincón showstoppers. Served in the style typical of Galicia with smoked paprika and olive oil, Juan places it atop mashed potato. Yet again, this prospect might horrify the tapas traditionalist, but once more the embracing of English twists and flavours works brilliantly. My biggest dislike of mashed potato is its dryness and thickness but that is countered here by the olive oil and the juices of the octopus. The fish itself is frozen on the boat and arrives whole in Summertown — Rosaleen says that after a few fairly sketchy attempts Juan has now got the preparation down to a tea! Ortiguillas, or sea urchins, are one of those marmite Andalusian delicacies understandably impossible to find anywhere else. Juan fries them to achieve a crispy exterior and uses a passion fruit glaze and artichoke emulsion to try and calm down their signature strong flavour. I’m thankful that it is far from lost though whilst Rosaleen unashamedly admits she can’t stand them!

Romanesco Leek, Ox Cheek

And finally on the savoury side of things comes the roasted leek with romanesco sauce and the ox cheek. Another example of the power of vegetables when used the right way, the leek is perfectly cooked: just enough to fall apart but not too much to lose flavour or texture. The traditional romanesco sauce is equally superb and grated pistachios enhance the flavours even further. Ox cheek is such a rare cut of meat in the UK but so popular in Spain. Juan slowly stews it in a sauce that is one of his proudest items on the menu. There is no flour here, instead the mix of wines is extremely concentrated and results in an inescapable and deliciously strong flavour. The meat falls apart and is served atop fries — although it might seem like a strange choice this is again a demonstration of how Juan is blending high-quality cuisine with traditional Spanish dishes and styles.

Basque Cheesecake

Room for dessert was severely limited but a Basque cheesecake to share is always a good idea if you ask me. Homemade of course, it wasn’t standout but the raspberry coulis added a sharp touch to an often bland dish.

Like any good Spanish establishment, the drinks list is very much a priority. Rosaleen and Juan have worked with the Oxford Wine Company ever since they opened to import a hugely wide-ranging list of options, the best of which are from Spain. There are sherries of all types available and our Pablo Cortado more than did the job, coming in at very fair value given its signature 12-year aging process for £5.20 a glass. With the fish, I had a glass of La Miranda, a Garnacha Blanca from Somontano. Dangerously easy drinking, the nose was very flowery but not over dominating with seafood. The house Albariño is similarly simple and works with pretty much everything on the menu, as Albariño almost always does. Red-wise, the house option is Sembro from the Duero. A classic tempranillo, its lightness could easily lend itself to a fish, especially a cod or tuna, as well as meat. From Navarra, the Inurrieta Norte is only a 2020 vintage but is already very full-bodied, much like a typical Bordeaux. To finish up I can’t recommend anything other than Patxarana — have you really visited Spain otherwise? Beers wise you can of course get an Estrella but Alhambra, 1906 Reserva, a variety of ciders, and clara make for authentically novel options.

El Rincón has combined so much of what makes Spanish food culture so good. Ingredients are high-quality and superb, Juan puts his own spin on all the reliable classics just as any Spaniard worth his salt does, the drinks list is extensively innovative, and the local community are front and centre. This is a project of real love and passion for Rosaleen and Juan and they are building something truly special. A little touch of everything that makes the country they love so special is here in abundance. Whether it is for one of the tasting menu events, some classic tapas, or a Sunday paella in the garden, be sure to pop along for a true taste of that Spanish experience.

Oriel College the last in Oxford to end Scholars’ Privilege in room ballot

Olivia Boyle
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Oriel College the last in Oxford to end Scholars’ Privilege in room ballot

After years of discussion, Oriel College’s Governing Body has agreed with the JCR to abolish Scholars’ Privilege in the room ballot. It is the last Oxford college to do so. 

At the end of Hilary, the Governing Body (GB) adopted the JCR’s proposal to remove the room-allocation advantage given to those who perform exceptionally well in Prelims or Mods. This comes a year after the Oriel JCR’s motion to remove Scholars’ Privilege was vetoed by the GB. Oriel JCR hopes that the current balloting process for next academic year, which has already begun, will be unaffected by the changes to Scholars’ Privilege.

Oriel JCR president, Phoebe Winter told Cherwell that “we are so delighted College has agreed to abolish Scholars’ Privilege in the room ballot. It’s been something that JCR Committees have been hoping to achieve for many years now and it has taken a lot of time and effort to put together proposals and argue for them in meetings, so it’s hugely exciting that we have finally managed to push this change through.” In Michaelmas, Oriel JCR voted in favour of abolition by 74 votes to 5.

In its proposal to the GB, the JCR cited the divide between state and independently educated students’ attainment in Prelims. It argued that discrepancies in educational experience can contribute to the attainment gap, so Scholars’ Privilege simply deepens private-education advantage. Oriel JCR told Cherwell that “this system reinforced discrepancies in state vs private school achievement in first year.” Similarly, the JCR spoke of unnecessary academic pressure placed on students, many of whom already grapple with imposter syndrome especially when joining Oxford with a state-education background. Oriel JCR believes Oxford education should not be framed by competition for the best rooms. The end of the Privilege comes with great relief as Phoebe Winter hopes that “the majority can celebrate this as a pretty monumental moment in JCR politics”. 

Outside of Oriel JCR, students are torn by the practice of Scholars’ Privilege. A poll of over 300 students carried out by Cherwell found that 39% of respondents view Scholars’ Privilege as a helpful academic motivator against the 38% that don’t. Whilst a narrower 34% see the Privilege as unfair, the general consensus is that Scholars are deserving of reward in some form. After all, Exhibition holders – second-in-rank to Scholars – will similarly don the puffed sleeves of a Scholars gown so hard work is mostly rewarded across the board. Oriel College references this supposed flexibility in its Handbook where “awards are made to students in order to mark the attainment of a specific goal or progress towards a specific goal”.  

Scholars’ Privilege still exists in other forms. Most colleges offer financial rewards, Scholars gowns, and Scholars’ formals. St Hugh’s College even offers several free days of vacation residence to recognise the “significant honour” of Scholarship, as is stated in the Student Handbook.

In the name of the egalitarian university experience, the Oriel JCR asserted that they “are really looking forward to seeing this change come into practice, and are extremely grateful to Oriel’s Governing Body for voting to abolish this system”.

Image Credit: Steve Daniels/CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Our planet is in crisis; can we save it?

Jack Twyman
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Our planet is in crisis; can we save it?

As I am writing this I am sitting by a window looking out onto a garden of mown grass. A parakeet hangs off a bird feeder while it eats, and a grey squirrel scurries up a tree behind. The stream in my garden, once flowing and clear, lays stagnant in a concrete-lined pond.  Extend this up to a planetary level, and with emissions already changing climatic zones, invasive species running riot, and the attack on biodiversity occuring at an industrial level, it is clear to see why some say the world cannot be seen as natural anymore. The future is looking evermore uncertain.

In the past decade, an estimated 21.6 million people annually were internally displaced by climate-related hazards worldwide, with this number only projected to grow. According to the British Geological Survey, humans move about 24 times more material around the surface of the planet than rivers move sediment to the oceans – 316 billion metric tons. The age-old European fetish of humans overcoming mother nature has in some sense, with ghastly consequences. It is therefore a significant characterisation of the proposed new epoch of geological time – the Anthropocene: a definitive characterisation of human dominance of the global system.

We are at a crossroads for humanity. We can overcome emissions, some argue, but removing them from the Earth and living in a sterilised planet free of wildlife. Or we could fundamentally change the way we love, making room for nature, and adapting consumption for a more harmonious planet and safeguarding biodiversity before it disappears altogether. Some call this determinist, and it is clear to see why. However, the current system we can see puts some people above the planet. 

So why does it matter for us in the West? Surely we’re far removed from the negative impacts of climate change – one report by UKRI suggested “production in cool, wet upland areas may benefit from warmer and drier conditions” with longer growing seasons. Don’t most people have more present worries like the cost of living? But even here there will be consequences – 40C temperatures this summer has devastating effects on life – and obliterated any thought that the climate crisis is a future not present issue. The globalisation of the current era has enabled us Brits to enjoy exotic foods from all across the world – and our reliance on them is only getting stronger. Demand for food is rising globally and production needs to double by 2050 to keep up with demand.

This chronic pressure means the food system is increasingly vulnerable to acute shocks. For evidence of this see the global impacts of the Russian-occupation of Ukraine. Monoculture of staple crops leave them vulnerable to pests and diseases more prevalent in warmer temperatures. And growing water scarcity will mean that 2/3 of the World’s population under water stress conditions by 2025. For the UK, in summer 40% of food comes from dryland and subtropical regions. In winter that is 80% – based of FAOs 4 tenets of food security, it makes us highly vulnerable. UK agriculture may be decimated by the hypothesised shutdown of thermohaline ocean circulation, which enables the Gulf Stream, which keeps the UK relatively warmer – Edinburgh has the same latitude as Moscow. Harsher winters would be critical. 

The UK has a historical impetus to act because as part of the ‘developed’ world, it is our problem to fix. Past emissions highlight European and North American roles in the present climate change. 23 rich, developed countries are responsible for half of all historical CO2 emissions, despite making up 12% of the population. More than 150 countries are responsible for the other half. Western attitudes towards nature are also part of the problem. The cultural symbolism of the UK’s patchwork quilt has ingrained ecological destruction into the national psyche. 

In the former settler colonies of the Americas, Australia and New Zealand the marginalisation and attempted extermination of Indigenous cultures is perhaps one of the starkest examples of the Western assault on nature. The West sees nature as a resource, one to be exploited for economic value, and of little use otherwise. This negates the ecosystem services, climate regulation and those who live on a subsistence of the land. From wildfires in California worsened by excess fuel that is accumulating because of loss of indigenous land management to loss of species knowledge, the current policy is not working. Western schemes to ‘carbon offset’ and ‘conserve’ nature have removed people from their lands and actually worsened carbon drawdown productivity. The dichotomy of the ‘wilderness’ and ‘civilisation’ cannot and should not be applied to many regions.

Humans can live in harmony with nature; civilisation accelerated the decline of the ‘Green Sahara’  according to new research led by UCL they may have held back the onset of the Sahara desert by around 500 years. This is a complex relationship in many cases- following the arrival of Europeans to South America, the ensuing disease killed off half of the Amazon’s population, with the average temperature dropping by 0.15C in the late 1500s and early 1600s. This “Little Ice Age”, a time when the River Thames in London would regularly freeze over, snowstorms were common in Portugal and disrupted agriculture caused famines in several European countries. Even the current geological epoch – the interglacial Holocene – has been attributed to the advent of agriculture, or the extinction of the megafaunal species. 

So what are the solutions and what is the best way forward? My Cherwell article with Canqi Li interviewing the Vice-Challelor showed that there is an appetite to work with fossil fuel companies to solve the problem. And removing emissions may have to be the bandaid to keep the lid on the crisis in the short term. But this cannot be the only way. The Oil industry and its assemblage have disproportionate impacts on the poorest and most climate-vulnerable countries, while the benefits are reserved for the richer West.

We don’t need any awareness raising – the time for that has been and gone. All the talk of buying and consuming ‘green’ with ‘green growth’ and ‘sustainable growth’ harbour shocking contradictions. There are those that believe that a whole transformation of the economic system is needed – a new alternative to present ‘capitalism’ or ‘neoliberalism’, however, this is unlikely given the entrenchment and contemporary power of those deemed winners in the current system.

Image credit: © Eric Sales / ABD / CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO

Romulo – Forever at the forefront of Filipino cuisine

Oliver Hall
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Romulo – Forever at the forefront of Filipino cuisine

When Chris and Rowena opened Romulo on High Street Kensington in 2016, London and the UK were largely unaware of what the country had to offer it. Now though, the pair have led a proliferation of restaurants at all price points across the capital and elsewhere. These days, Romulo has stretched the market and represents the fine-dining Filipino experience hard to find elsewhere.

The pair have made their careers in introducing foreign cuisine to new markets. Chris was responsible for bringing the likes of Krispy Kreme to Malaysia and after success in Manila, Romulo represented the first real entry of Filipino cuisine into the London market. Ever since it has made its name as the place where Filipinos from across the city come for their home cooking in the hands of the family.

After opening sister site Kasa and Kin in Soho (also very much worth a visit), Chris explains that he wanted to stretch the market at both ends. Kasa sits at a lower price point and offers fun and novel twists on Filipino classics. After that, Romulo underwent a refurb and pivoted to fine dining — here the focus is very much on traditional dishes done well.

New this year is their ‘Free Flowing Fridays’ promotion. Every Friday and for £38.50 each (without drinks), guests are able to sample as many of the 25 small plates on offer as they like. There are strict rules in place on exactly how you can operate and leftovers are not allowed but it is a great chance to try a hugely wide variety of the country’s signatures.

And so on to the food. In general terms, for me it was the vegetable dishes that stood out from the rest. I often find this to be the case with Asian cuisine and the same was true here. Sauces definitely dominate a lot of the meat dishes but it was a pleasure to be introduced to so many different types of cooking that I hadn’t encountered before.

Pandesal

All guests are offered a pandesal bread roll when they are seated and the light, airy Filipino classic is worth holding on to the soak up the various weird and wonderful sauces to follow. 

Shitake Mushroom Bicol Express, Aubergine Salad
Vegetable Lumpia

From those vegetables, we tried a shiitake mushroom dish first. Cooked in a rich coconut milk, the mushrooms still maintain a meatiness and the chilli on top is a good attempt to counter the sweet creaminess. It perhaps could’ve done with more but if the attempt is to introduce new consumers to Filipino food then caution is understandable. The aubergine salad came next and is made up of chopped vegetables and a half aubergine served atop an aubergine puree. The salsa is made up of mango and tomato and the puree is a great contrast in textures with the substantial slice of grilled whole vegetable. Then were the lumpia — these were a kind of spring roll-esque dish but without the crispiness of a puff pastry. The vegetables within were absolutely superb and paired perfectly with a peanut crush, drizzle and spring onions.

Squid Adobo, Stir-Fried Noodles, Gambas Al Ajilo, Pork and Prawn Siomai

The squid adobo was the first fish dish I tried and I was left firmly in two minds. On the one hand, the adobo sauce was delicious and I found myself drizzling it over my side of rice and noodles afterwards, such was its flavour. The squid though became completely lost in it and any flavour that it did have on its own was impossible to pick out. Unfortunately, this would become a bit of a theme with some of the future dishes. The gambas al ajilo were both full of garlic and carried a touch of chilli, just as they should, but differed from the squid in the sense that the flavour of the prawns was still easily distinguishable. Siomai reminded me of dumplings but again the pork and prawn within them were lost within the toyomansi and chilli oil. 

Vegetable noodles were definitely my pick of the sides. Mixed with various vegetables they have much more of a distinctive flavour than the other choices of garlic stir-fried rice or jasmine rice.

Sizzling Chicken Sisig Inasal, Beef Brisket Kare Kare, Dingley Dell Pork Hock, Braised Beef Broth

Sizzling chicken Sisig Insaal is the showstopper dish on offer from the selection and arrives, as one might imagine, in quite the noisy eruption. The meat itself is finely chopped and slightly overcooked for my liking but again the creamy sauce and mix of chopped red onions were delightful. Beef brisket was by far and away my favourite meat option and fell apart just as you would hope from the cut. Its kare kare peanut sauce paired superbly, as did the beans and aubergine, with the meat strong enough in flavour to shine through. The hock was somewhat disappointing for me and was far too fatty and crispy to get any kind of flavour from the meat itself. The broth was superb and as well as beef contained cabbage, sweetcorn, potatoes, and other vegetables.

Chopped Salad, Lechon Beef, Singalay Stuff Seabream

Lechon beef is again too tough for my liking but the gravy and caramelised carrots make this the most hearty of all the options. Seabream is wrapped in a vegetable skin and, like the squid, is disappointingly hard to pick out from its sauce. The fresh chopped salad with tomato, cucumber, and mango salsa brings refreshing fresh touches to any of the mains.

Ube cheesecake, Lemongrass jelly, Ice Cream, Mango Peach Pie

Desserts are more than worth leaving room for. The ube cheesecake is superbly light with a crunchy and substantial biscuit base. Its ube flavours work perfectly with the cheesecake in a way I never would have expected. The lemongrass jelly also has strips of lychee and tapioca pearls and to me represented a kind of greatest-hits of Filipino sweet flavours. The texture is odd and slightly sickly for me but I expect that is a matter of personal preference. Ice cream is a pleasing surprise — it is swimming in a banana puree and a crispy pastry top that all to pair together for an unbelievably sweet contrast to the smooth vanilla of the scoop itself. And finally the mango peach pie. The crust is thick — too thick for me — but the crumbled top and fruit within shine through once you cross that barrier.

All in all, Romulo brings an entirely unique prospect to the table. As a result of its pioneering entry into the market in 2017 there are other Filipino options in London and other parts of the country. Nowhere else though can you find authentic fine dining like you can here. 

Wilding Oxford – Wine before food

Oliver Hall
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Wilding Oxford – Wine before food
Podcast

Wilding Oxford has a pitch that makes it stands out from the pack — here, wine comes first and everything else follows. At their site on Little Clarendon St., owner and founder Kent has created a hub for all things good wine and food. Sustainability and high quality come first in all areas, as does the democratisation and demystification of an often daunting world.

There is a lot going on at Wilding and before anything, it is worth breaking it all down. Firstly, when you walk in you’ll find the bar area: here there is the option to sit and enjoy some nibbles and it is also the home of the wines on tap. These are changed less often than others but by their very nature allow a huge variation in serving sizes: you can just as easily order a small glass as a carafe or a bottle. To the right of the door is the shop: here there are more than 400 bottles, ranging in price from £10 to as high as £400 from a wide variety of producers and grapes. The predictable vineyards and vintages are present, but there is also the chance to discover countless new and exciting producers. The fact that these can all be enjoyed in the restaurant for a £15 corkage fee also offers the potential of huge value for money, avoiding the mark-ups standard in most restaurants. 

Also in the shop is the Enomatic machine. Here four bottles are available in various quantities from as little as 10ml to a bottle. Again, this opens up enormous opportunities for experimentation and venturing into high-value wines that you would never want to risk trying a whole bottle of given their high price point. 

Alongside all of this there is of course the restaurant. Here, there is also a conventional wine list with around 40 different choices on offer, all by the glass, carafe, or bottle. The restaurant itself stretches to the back of the building and outside into a garden area, open from May and throughout the Summer.

Now, I know that is a lot about wine, but food is front and centre of priorities here too. The team have built on the unique concept of wine leading the way and curated a pleasingly short but comprehensive list of dishes that all pair with different drinks on offer. 

Among the starters, we sampled the Soused Red Mullet, the Devon Caught Scallops, and the Beef Tartare. The Mullet dish was the one that stood out for me. In the podcast we recorded later, Kent talked passionately about how long it took to get this one right. Now, the pickled cauliflower and onions enhance the flavour of the fish while giving it room to shine. Normally, I prefer scallops to be left alone but here a dash of herb oil and some prosciutto crumb adds a unique twist. The tartare too was good with the high-quality meat that is all important.

Soused Red Mullet, Devonshire Caught Scallops, Beef Tartare

Bread here is also all made in-house. There is both sourdough and focaccia prepared each morning in the kitchen — rather amusingly Kent didn’t want to commit to saying that it was their own given how perfect it looked! The sourdough is seeded and carries a good flavour but the foccacia is the real star of the show. So often, people get lazy with focaccia and you end up with either a massively dry loaf or one that is so heavily drowned in oil that it carries no flavour. Wilding strikes a perfect balance — the top is crisp and coated in salty goodness whilst underneath there is a light and moist consistency that both has a flavour of its own but also carries a balsamic or high-quality olive oil well.

The main courses are split into two sections: ‘From The Grill’ and Pizzas. We tried the Celeriac Steak, the Ox Cheek, and the Guinea Fowl Ballotine. The first is a vegan offering and a welcome break from the cauliflower steak that most restaurants turn to as a meat substitute. It was superbly juicy and the simple walnut salad alongside it was a nice touch when combined with wild mushrooms. The Ox Cheek is a seriously hefty dish and the price point of £26 reflects that. Price aside, the portion is extremely generous and the meat itself falls apart just as you would hope. Rather bizarrely though, it was the braised cabbage that made the dish for me. It is drizzled with a dash of chilli to add spice and depth, brandy sauce and bacon counter that with the smooth carrot crush. The ballotine was good too with the mushroom stuffing a pleasant twist. More brandy sauce here brings some moisture that is perhaps otherwise missing and hasselback potatoes take on a lovely saltiness.

Celeriac Steak, Ox Cheek, Guinea Fowl Ballotine

Desserts-wise, we were offered the Cardamom and Orange Creme Brûlée, the Chocolate and Rosemary Tart, and a homemade vanilla ice cream served with Pedro Ximenez (think affogato but naughtier). Normally I find creme brûlées fairly dull but this one stands out thanks to that orange and cardamom twist. The tart is intensely chocolatey and needs the Chantilly cream that it comes with to balance that but together the two make a great paring. The ice cream simply does what it says on the tin. A delightful take on an affogato, the only problem is the dilemma you have at the end as to whether to drink the remnants or not! There is a cheeseboard too with three local selections served with crackers and chutney for £15. The Oxford Blue was my favourite of the three but I couldn’t help but feel like there was more potential here for a plethora of wine and cheese pairings.

Chocolate and Rosemary Tart, Cardomom and Organ Creme Brûlée

Wine-wise, we had Vorgeschmack, an Austrian unfiltered blend of Gruner Veltliner and Riesling and a 2021 Bergerie du Capucin. The latter is a much more traditional Languedoc-Roussillon white that blends Chardonnay, Roussanne, and Viognier. My favourite though was the first that carried a huge nose and was pleasingly sharp. With desert, the Banyuls Domains de Valcros is a French Grenache that is intensely sweet and is bound to dominate anything you have alongside it.

All in all, Wilding Oxford is unique in this city. There are other great restaurants and there are other good wine bars but the pairing of both of those elements here makes a location for all occasions. There is the chance to come in for a quick pre-dinner drink at the bar, discover a new grape from the Enomatic machine, or settle in for the evening with a selection of high-quality and carefully thought-out food.

Varsity Football: Women’s past is the future

Iona Bennett
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Varsity Football: Women’s past is the future

This Sunday’s football Varsity against Cambridge will be the 138th played by the men and the 37th by the women since the club was founded in 1872. The dark blues will be looking for a repeat of last year’s double victory, a success which saw Oxford lifting both trophies.

However, for many, 2022 will go down in footballing history for another (and perhaps more significant) reason: the sensational performance of England’s Lionesses at the Euros.  Their historic win brought a trophy back to England for the first time since the much-vaunted 1966 men’s World Cup victory. Looking back to last year’s various football successes, and forwards towards this weekend’s Varsity, I have been reflecting upon both my own personal experience playing football, and also the (often unknown and untold) history of women’s football in the UK.

From a young age I always had a ball at my feet, regardless of where I was. Eventually, after a few smashed plates, lamps, and other household objects, my parents decided that it was time to find somewhere for my sister and I to get some real training – and maybe increase our accuracy. Excited at the prospect of playing football properly, we set off to the local park with our mum to find the team that my dad had arranged for us to train with the previous week. On arrival, we were promptly berated by the coach for not having shin pads and sent away without playing. Dreams of becoming a professional footballer crushed, seven-year-old me burst into tears. Fast-forward a couple of weeks, and our parents found us a different team with a supportive coach. We were the only girls there, but that didn’t faze us at all: we were finally playing football.

However, when I went on to join a local Sunday league girls’ team, the differences between my own experience and that of my male counterparts begin to show. I played at places with no toilets, in leagues which would be cancelled midway through the season because of teams dropping out, and on sloping pitches resembling meadows, with lines marked out in cones. These were right next to the well-maintained pitches, always reserved for the boys. These imbalances began especially to frustrate me when I became involved in the sport more seriously. I played for the first team of my Regional Talent Centre while my friend played for the men’s equivalent reserve team. Unlike me and my teammates, he got access to ice baths and specialised physios. This disparity particularly annoyed me because I knew such facilities would greatly aid my development. As this happened, many of the girls I had played with were stopping football completely. Looking back, this is hardly surprising given that 64% of girls drop out of sports by the age of 17. By this point, it had become clear to me that women’s football could only progress significantly with increased funding, distributed from grassroots to a professional level, and with a changed public attitude.

At the same time, teams in the WSL, the top division of English women’s football, were lucky to get one thousand supporters a week, while men’s premier league teams would easily get upwards of fifty thousand. Women’s football seemed anything but popular, and, to me, the prospect of attracting even half of the men’s numbers seemed to be stuff of a distant future. As it turns out, the future was the last place I needed to be looking: women’s football had already attracted the same numbers as the men’s – and nearly an entire century earlier! As someone heavily involved in the sport from a young age, I was surprised to discover its hidden history. Just twenty-five years after the first women’s football match in 1895, a Boxing Day match at Goodison Park attracted 53,000 supporters, an international record that was only broken a decade ago. Why had I not known about this before? How had this regression in popularity occurred? What happened to Women’s football?

The answer is simple, and shocking – in 1921 the Football Association banned Women’s football from affiliated grounds. Their accompanying statement that “the game of football is quite unsuitable for females and ought not to be encouraged” reflected the social politics of the time, and the wider attempts to make women return to pre-war conditions. Many women were unhappy about this, seeing much of their new-found independence during the first-world war taken from them. Women wanted to be able to determine their own futures and have keys rights – political, social and reproductive. Therefore, although the FA’s decision was undoubtedly a setback, the 1920s was also period in which women campaigned hard for their rights, and achieved a series of successes. The Matrimonial Causes Act (1923) made adultery by either husband or wife the sole ground for divorce. The Summary Jurisdiction Act (1925) extended the criteria on which either a husband or wife could obtain separation.  The Legitimacy Act (1926) allows for children born outside of marriage to be legitimated by the subsequent marriage of their parents. The Adoption Act (1926) introduced adoption procedures. While women over 30 were given the right to vote in 1918, women were only given electoral equality in 1928.  The following year the Ages at Marriage Act raised the minimum age to 16 and the so-called ‘Flapper’ election of 1929 took place.

Until 1969, women’s football was only played in amateur leagues, with small crowds and limited funding. In this time, the campaigning of second wave feminist saw women gain further rights. The Married Women’s Property Act (1964) entitled a woman to keep half of any savings she has made from the allowance she is given by her husband, Barbara Castle became the first female minister of state (1965), Labour MP David Steel sponsored an Abortion Law Reform Bill, which becomes the Abortion Act (1967), and women went on strike at the Ford car factory over equal pay – a protest that led directly to the passing of the Equal Pay Act. Yet, in and amongst all of this, it was not until 1969 the Women’s Football Association (WFA) was formed. Further, it would be another two years before the FA would lift the ban which stopped women playing on the grounds of affiliated clubs.

Despite this huge fifty-year setback, women’s football grew steadily from this point up until the start of the new century. By the time I was born in 2002, football had become the top participation sport for girls and women in England. In the same year, Gurinder Chadha’s Bend it Like Beckham was released. Starring Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley, the film follows two 18-year-old girls who love football, and are determined to play at any cost. It was an instant success, and cemented itself, and women’s football, firmly within popular culture. Watching it for the first time, I identified particularly with the Indian character Jesminder. When the film finished, I turned to my mum and said, ‘that girl is just like me’.

Now, in 2023, there are hundreds of (real!) role-models for young girls starting out in the sport to look up to, from England’s captain Leah Williamson to former footballer turned television presenter Alex Scott. The progress the sport has made in the last few years alone has been incredible to see, and women’s football is being played and watched by more than ever before. When I go home to Leeds and walk through my local park on a weekend, the pitches are still, as they were over a decade ago when I first started out, inevitably full. This time, however, men, girls, women, and boys are all playing next to one another.

Therefore, while there is a long way to go for women’s football, particularly in terms of increasing funding and continuing to change public attitudes, its recent progress is something to be celebrated. As we look forward to what the future of the sport may hold, we must also look back to the often-forgotten women who paved the way for us, and had to fight simply to play a game they loved.

So, reflecting upon all of this in the build-up to this Sunday’s Varsity I want to urge you to reverse the deliberate setback imposed on the women’s game just over one hundred years ago and head down to London on Sunday, to support Oxford. The women are playing at 12.00 at Leyton Orient F.C, and the men at 15. 00. The women’s game has come a long way, and while we won’t be able to match the huge crowds who used to watch all those years ago, it would be fantastic if there were good numbers cheering on the dark blues. Let’s reverse the FA’s 1921 pronouncement and show that in 2023 we know that ‘the game of football is quite suitable for females and ought to be encouraged.’ 

Image Credit: Iona Bennett

Dismissed academic visitor ran unofficial “Oxbridge fellowship” scheme for financial associates

Cherwell News
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<strong data-src=Dismissed academic visitor ran unofficial “Oxbridge fellowship” scheme for financial associates" title="Dismissed academic visitor ran unofficial “Oxbridge fellowship” scheme for financial associates" />

Onyeka Nwelue, whose Academic Visitor status at Oxford and Cambridge was terminated last month, used his position at the two universities to set up a fellowship scheme for the benefit of his financial associates, an ongoing investigation by Cherwell has found. This comes after he established his own place at Oxbridge through payment of at least £12,000 in donations and academic visitorship fees. 

The Fellowships

The James Currey Fellowships were created by the James Currey Society, which Nwelue incorporated as a for-profit company in May 2022. They provide funding for African writers to visit Oxford or Cambridge in a research capacity, although Oxford and Cambridge confirmed the fellowships have not been administered, funded, or awarded by either university. Recipients have been listed as academic visitors rather than fellows on the university websites and Nwelue said their visitorship fees were paid: “From my own pocket”.

Before the recipients of this year’s James Currey Fellowships were announced, Nwelue posted about the scheme online, tweeting: “I am not a billionaire but I have established two Fellowships in Oxford and Cambridge” and “Philanthropy is a messy thing. If you’re a criminal, a fraudster (sic) … invest in things that will cleanse your stained heart”.

Both the James Currey Fellowships and the society awarding them are named after Oxford alumnus James Currey, a celebrated publisher of African literature. When asked about the society, Nwelue told Cherwell: “Mr James Currey approves everything before I go ahead”. Currey is elderly and has recently been in ill health. His son, commenting on his behalf, confirmed: “The James Currey Society was not set up at his behest, he has not been involved in programming events – though has attended some – and he has not provided financial support.”

Cherwell found that both individuals who were awarded the James Currey Fellowships this year had existing financial relationships with Nwelue before receiving them.

David Hundeyin, a Nigerian blogger, was announced as the James Currey Fellow at Cambridge in October 2022, after signing a book deal with Nwelue’s publishing house Abibiman Publishers in September. Hundeyin later faced complaints for making misogynistic remarks to students at a launch event for this book in Oxford on 31st January 2023, which he promoted under the university logo without the university’s permission. He has also claimed on Twitter that Cambridge awarded him a “Fellowship” despite the university consistently denying any input in selecting the James Currey Fellows and confirming to Cherwell that Hundeyin’s status was that of an academic visitor.

Mitterand Okorie, the current James Currey Fellow at Oxford, co-founded the World Arts Agency, a Johannesburg-based literary agency, with Nwelue in 2019 as well as publishing his first book in 2017 with Nwelue’s company Blues & Hills. He also wrote Nwelue’s biography, Onyeka Nwelue: A Troubled Life, which he published through Abibiman in 2022.

Asked why the James Currey Fellowships had been awarded to these individuals, Nwelue said: “I have no answer to your questions.” However, after his associations with Oxbridge were terminated, Nwelue wrote in an email to Oxford staff: “I did not mean to tarnish the image of the African Studies Centre … I am very sorry to have brought the embarrassment I brought. About bringing David Hundeyin here, I didn’t read the signs properly. I am also sorry about that.”

The Winner

The James Currey Fellowship in Oxford was actually offered to another writer before being given to Mitterand Okorie, Cherwell discovered. In September 2022, aspiring Nigerian author Rosemary Okeke won the James Currey Prize, a competition she entered through the James Currey Society several months earlier. Along with prize money, one of the benefits of the prize was a funded James Currey Fellowship at Oxford, contingent on signing a book deal with Abibiman Publishers. 

Nwelue appointed a jury of nine people to judge the work of authors who entered the prize, although several of the five jurors who spoke to Cherwell were unaware that Oxbridge fellowships were promised as one of the prize’s benefits.

In October, Mitterand Okorie contacted Okeke as a literary agent with the World Arts Agency, offering her a contract of representation for her book. Okeke stated that she hoped to have a female literary agent, after which she received no further correspondence from Okorie. She subsequently discovered he had been appointed as the James Currey Fellow at Oxford instead.

Okeke received no formal contact from Oxford University throughout this. After questioning the fellowship’s re-allocation, she received an email from Nwelue saying: “I was sent your response to the contract offer. You mentioned that … you were looking forward to a female agent. Why is the Fellowship important to you, since I am a man?”

She told Cherwell: “There was, and is, a lot of confusion about the fellowship on my end, especially because people who weren’t even among the shortlisted candidates [for the James Currey Prize] were getting appointed fellowships by the Society. They seemed to be uncoordinated.”

One of the James Currey Prize jurors told Cherwell: “I was unaware that Rosemary Okeke never received the fellowship. This is unfortunate and unfair to Rosemary Okeke. The assessment process was very rigorous and time-consuming. It took two rounds of assessment, and to prevail as the winner means that Okeke deserved everything that was promised to her by the award organisers.” 

Oxford University declined to comment on the situation with Okeke, reiterating that the University was not involved in selecting recipients of the James Currey Fellowship.

“Dr. Onyeka Nwelue was here”

In September 2022, before this year’s fellowships were awarded, Nwelue donated a bust of James Currey to Wadham College. Wadham said: “we accepted a bust of [James Currey] from the organisers of the James Currey Literary Festival”, adding “Wadham College has no direct association with Onyeka Nwelue.” However, Nwelue was photographed alongside the Warden of Wadham College during the bust’s unveiling ceremony and he was one of the organisers of the festival.

While running the James Currey Fellowship scheme, Nwelue also continued to pay for his own associations with Oxford and Cambridge. Neither institution confirmed whether all academic visitors pay a set bench fee, but documents show Nwelue has paid £1000 per academic year for access to Oxford’s university libraries since 2021. At Cambridge, he was charged £9000 for one year’s association with the Centre for African Studies in 2022-23.

He told Cherwell that his Academic Visitorship “was a platform to be seen as powerful, a platform to leverage on… What money and power can not do, does not exist!”

Nwelue also made online claims about donating to Oxford University, posting a letter addressed to “Professor Nwelue” from former Vice-Chancellor Louise Richardson thanking him for his “generous support”. Oxford University did not respond to Cherwell’s inquiries about the full sum that Nwelue donated. 

However, it was confirmed that Nwelue paid £1000 to have his name engraved on a chair in Oxford’s Weston Library; the words “Dr. Onyeka Nwelue was here” are inscribed on its armrest. Although Cherwell revealed that Nwelue has no professorial position or PhD, Weston Library confirmed that the plaque on the chair will remain in place.

Investigations into whether any background checks were carried out on Nwelue and the fellowship holders he appointed are ongoing.

Bbuona – Italia a Oxford

Oliver Hall
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Bbuona – Italia a Oxford

I visited Bbuona 18 months ago to record my first ever Oxford Eats podcast. A lot has happened in the world since then but Bbuona’s charm is evergreen — the remarkable quality of authentic imported ingredients and products served in a restaurant perfectly reminiscent of an Italian bar makes stepping inside feel like teleporting to a different world. That world is one of good food, good weather, and great people.

Owner Andi first set up the restaurant alongside Alessandro as ‘Buongiorno & Buonasera’. Back then the goal was to create a Roman-style bar with authentic pinsa just one of the offerings. It quickly became clear though that pizza was the star of the show and a quick rebrand later, Bbuona was born. Now, the restaurant maintains the Italian-style bar (I often find myself standing here enjoying an espresso and a cannoli) but also operates as a more formal sit-down restaurant with table service.

Everything here is authentic — I can’t stress that enough. I brought my Italian friend here on his first day in Oxford and it is now our regular haunt. Any Italians in Oxford will find themselves in a dreamland of Ichnusa (Sicilian beer), Crodino, and products from across the country — think of it as a kind of ‘Italian greatest hits album’. The biscuits on the bar are imported from the same Sicilian people as Italiamo and some of the other desserts arrive weekly from Rome. Cheeses, salamis, and vegetables are similarly drafted in from a range of suppliers and producers.

Pinsa is a uniquely Roman pizza variety and is worth explaining. It is a much lighter, healthier, and thinner dish than the Neopolitan style that is most common in the UK. I’ve never seen it offered in England anywhere else and it is of course made in-house here daily by the team. In Rome, pinsa is traditionally prepared in the morning and heated to order by the slice but here that approach obviously isn’t sustainable. Instead, the bases are prepped by hand early on and left to rise and aerate before being dressed and cooked to order. The dough itself is completely unique — much easier to digest, it uses non-GMO rice, soy, wheat, and sourdough flours to make it 80% more hydrated than a traditional base. The same starter has been used by Bbuona since 2017 and the pressing and hand-tossing process (pinsa derives from the word pinsere, to press, in Italian) gives it its signature light and airy crust. 

That focus on non-GMO products is hugely important to Andi. In fact, he is quick to point out that it is a hugely important part of Italian and Mediterranean food as a whole. Fats and carbohydrates have been a natural part of our diet for all time but he preaches the evils of the introduction of artificial sugars and other products. You simply won’t find them here.

And so on to the food — and what food it is. There is an extremely diverse range of dishes here with all price points and budgets catered for. Andi says that that is something that was important to him. Ingredients are high quality throughout all of the dishes but you can still get a pizza for less than £9. Alternatively, there is scope to go all out for the Tartufo option at £15.95 or add your own ingredients and toppings.

The new gluten-free pinsa is something that Andi is particularly passionate about. In the past, there was always a gluten-free offering but it was a Neopolitan-style base due to the extreme difficulty in creating authentic pinsa without gluten. Now though, the restaurant has partnered with a supplier in Rome to exclusively create and supply them with an authentic pinsa-style dough for gluten-free customers. Cooked on a different surface and in a different oven from the other pizzas, catering for allergies and dietary requirements is a core part of the menu at Bbuona.

From the starters, we sampled the bruschetta and they were delightful. The dish comes with three different varieties; topped with aubergine, cherry tomatoes, and peppers. The cherry tomatoes are definitely the simplest of the trio but for me their freshness was by far the most refreshing.

Bruschetta

Salads are also on the menu for those looking for a light option and our Energetica was a very well-rounded dish. Not overdressed at all, the customer is left to drizzle any mix of oils and vinegars to their liking. The leaves are mixed with Puglian olives that pack a huge punch, cherry tomatoes, and prosciutto crudo before a grating of gran reserva Grana Padano cheese. If you manage a bite of all the elements together then the balance is perfect and the addition of some garlic and chilli oils is highly recommended. The only drawback for me was the quantity of olives. There are so many that their intense flavour does risk becoming overpowering.

Energetica salad

The parmigiana melanzane again manages to tread that line between filling and heavy. The portion size is generous but the fact that the aubergine are grilled and not fried means that their flavour is given space to stand out. This, together with the light amount of cheese, means that the tomatoes and garlic are also able to really add the depth of flavour to the dish that is often drowned out by oil.

Parmigiana melanzane

Pizza-wise, we got three different options. Firstly came the Bbuona. Andy’s favourite (hence taking the name of the restaurant), it is simply a tomato base with prosciutto crudo and burrata cheese. This burrata is my favourite of the many kinds of cheese here. As I have written before, I really think that many pizzas are ruined by ‘over-cheesing’. This couldn’t be more different — the burrata falls apart beautifully and the creamy interior breaks away and spreads over the base to create a cold, creamy contrast to the hot tomato base.

Bbuona pinsa

Alongside it we ordered the Ortolana. Coming from the Italian word for garden, ‘orto’, this is a vegan option that puts vegetables front and centre. With aubergine, peppers, olives, onions, and garlic, the flavours are intense but contrasted well with the addition of fresh basil. None of the vegan pizzas here have cheese — Andi simply hasn’t found a vegan cheese good enough to put on the menu and that should be reassuring to everyone: there is simply no compromise on flavour at Bbuona.

Ortolana

To try the new gluten-free base, we created our own pinsa and went slightly crazy. The addition of friarelli, anchovies, and mushrooms on an artichoke cream base meant that the centre of the base was slightly undercooked. The friarelli does jump out though and is another of the uniquely Italian offerings: a type of broccoli rabe only usually found in the Mediterranean, it has a sour and earthy flavour that make it stand out from whatever dish it is in.

The ‘Olieatsitall’ creation!

Desserts here are a whole different equation. You can go crazy if you have room with the Nutella pinsa. The name though is deceiving — the base here isn’t actually Nutella but instead a different and much darker, creamier, hazelnut chocolate base that definitely makes for a dish that needs sharing. Ice cream is also on offer in all the classic flavours alongside the biscuits of several varieties that are on the bar. The hazelnut aragostine are superb but the pistachio profiterole style pastries are a different option to pair with your espresso.

Nutella pinsa and biscuit selection

Really though, that espresso wouldn’t be complete without a Bbuona cannolo. Alongside Gusto, this is one of the only places in Oxford that freshly pipes its cannoli and the only place in Oxford that will do it in front of you. There are pistachio and chocolate fillings but the star of the show is the traditional ricotta dipped in pistachios — given how hard it is to find in the UK, you would be remised to get anything else. If you are between meals when you wander through Gloucester Green, I have found that a cannolo and an espresso or cocktail at Bbuona can solve any internal crisis.

Cannolo

Bbuona on Gloucester Green is another one of those restaurants that I love so much. There is so much going on and yet it still manages to stay perfectly simple. The focus is on authenticity and good quality ingredients in everything that comes out of the kitchen. The sheer quantity of regulars from Oxford’s Italian community is a testament to this and you simply can’t miss the passion of every single member of the team. That passion and warmth really do make it feel like home. Whether you are in need of a pick-me-up, a midweek lunch, or a celebratory dinner, Bbuona can fit the bill for any occasion.

Review: Punk

Anonymous
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Review: Punk

This play was a wild ride and I’m still trying to figure it out a week later. Perhaps the greatest of praises: the play was a hefty 80 minutes but felt a lot shorter. That’s not only a testament to writer-director Aaron Low, but to the entire cast and crew. However, worth mentioning again, I’m still slightly confused – but I think that’s the point.

Punk is a play about a man, Emory (Edgar Viola), who finds himself turning into a machine. The play is also “about anger”, as our helpful Narrator (Matt Sheldon) tells us right at the beginning. The Narrator is evidently Emory after his transformation, helpfully indicated by the glitches and tweaks in his voice. Sound design (a credit to Imi) in general is at the forefront of this play, conveying much of Emory’s metamorphosis from man to machine. 

Emory is an everyman, yet at the same time he is an outcast – this tension seems to characterise the play as a whole. Viola plays this fantastically, carefully taking us through the relatable scenes of mindlessly scrolling on TikTok, right through to the gut-wrenching scenes of Emory’s complete alienation from his circle of friends. This awkwardness is basically a result of Emory desperately trying to get the story out about the transformation to his journalist friend Mercy (AJ Culpepper-Wehr). At the same time, the play hints that Emory has always been the “weird one” of the group. It also explains that Emory is grieving his two parents. It’s unclear whether his personality, his grief, or the ‘becoming-robot’ is the central issue, but the play seems to suggest it’s all three. Sorry Emory. 

Oh, I almost forgot to mention. Emory is enlisted by parody-of-an-evil-supervillain Gina Kavorkian (Flora Symington) to take the main role in her upcoming ‘snuff film’. I did not know what a snuff film was before entering the Burton Taylor, and I’m not sure I’m glad I know now. There were some audience members who let out an uncomfortable half-chuckle upon hearing about it, which probably says more about them. 

To save you all the Google search, Gina asks Emory to star in a film depicting his own slow, eventual death. Admittedly, this did confuse me, since of course Emory’s computer self speaks to us throughout the play, but I suppose ‘death’ in this case was in a more mental, spiritual sense. 

From this point onwards, the play takes a more sinister turn. It runs through Emory’s painful falling out with his supposed-friend Robin (Alex Bridges) culminating in a very shout-y scene that was either a highly moving scene of heartbreak at the loss of a friend, or a slightly overdone display of rage. The play was about anger, after all…

To be fair to them, there was definitely a lot of anger. There’s a particularly amusing scene (definitely on the absurd side) where Mercy and his partner Maria (Alice Bergoënd) shout at Emory’s neighbour for annoying him, resulting in a very quick escalation, names being called, gunshots. At this point you’ll see why the 80 minutes seemed to pass quickly. We were not bored. At all.

In general, the play seemed to have it all. Funny characters, an absurd plot, and surprisingly naturalistic writing, especially for a play about a man turning into a machine who has his slow death documented by a snuff-film director. 

I would say I don’t know whether the play needed a Narrator. I ended up leaving feeling like some parts were over-explained, whilst still leaving the theatre in an overall confused state. Some explanations felt superfluous: starting a play explaining what it’s about; Gina explaining to Emory that his desire to put the story out about the transformation actually stems from an innate human desire to make something of one’s life. I think the machine stuff was a metaphor, but judging by the crazy robot-dance that rounds off the play’s action, it was definitely more real than not. 

A laptop that is left open on a bar throughout the play is closed at the end. On leaving the theatre, I indeed felt like throwing away all my devices, and if that was the original goal of the play it definitely succeeded. Members of the audience I managed to speak to seemed to agree that the sound design was superb. In particular, a scene where Emory’s phone malfunctions and plays horrible music at maximum volume was chilling and led me to trust issues with my phone for at least a couple days after.

Overall, Punk was fun. It was light-hearted when it needed to be, and at other points rich and profound. The points mentioned above were ultimately nit-picking – the play was great at what it wanted to do, and this was only enhanced by a hilarious cast. I can’t wait to see what Edgar Viola performs in next, and likewise what Apropos of Nothing Productions has up their sleeve for the future. 

Just Lokma — Oxford’s Turkish dessert location

Oliver Hall
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Just Lokma — Oxford’s Turkish dessert location

Two weeks ago, Just Lokma opened to little fanfare on Cowley Road. It has quickly attracted a customer base ranging from the large Turkish community that is already in Oxford to students discovering new delicacies for the first time.

Traditional Lokma

The offerings here are diverse but the star of the show is without a doubt the store’s namesake — Lokma. These are essentially tiny deep-fried dough balls that are traditionally soaked in syrup or honey. That is undoubtedly how they are best enjoyed here but there is also an extremely tempting dessert bar of sauces ranging from various chocolates to delicious pistachio.

My favourite version of the Lokma was definitely the traditional option but they can also be filled with any of the sauces. We also tried them filled with dark chocolate and drizzled in a selection of the sauces and toppings. One or two of them in this state is delightfully sweet but any more is very overpowering.

In a break from the Turkish theme, there are churros too — the thick kind as opposed to the authentic Spanish variety. Usually, I am very against these but these are fried long enough at a high temperature to mean that they are cooked through and properly crisp on the outside. They are ideally paired with the pistachio sauce (the owner tells me he already has people coming back to buy tubs of this and take it away).

Churros and pistachio sauce

Next came the baklava. There is a huge array here, all with different styles of pastries and coatings but all containing the same high-quality pistachios. These are delivered freshly each week by a specialist store in London.

Baklava

Vanilla cheesecake is also a move away from classic Turkish options but a good choice. It comes in at £4.70 for a huge slice and can be coated in any wild and wonderful mix of toppings. The vanilla element was nice but I would have liked a chunkier biscuit base.

Cheesecake

Drinks here also stand out. Turkish coffee is available and authentically strong and punchy but there is also Turkish tea. At just £2 it is amazingly sweet and refreshing and I was pleasantly surprised, as a non-tea drinker, to enjoy something I had never even seen on a menu before.

Turkish tea and Turkish coffee

All in all, Just Lokma is yet another exciting and interesting addition to international stores and offerings on Cowley Road. You can choose your own selection of lokma and get six for £6.50 or four churros for £4.50. Open until 11 PM on the weekends it is certainly a new option for the mid-pub crawl snack or to fuel up before a night out. Not a night owl? The creamery is also a nice stop-off for a treat on a weekday wonder.

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