In the habit... Welcome to the Habit - a seasonal treat of recipes, events and offers from the award winning team at Blackfriars restaurant. So sit back, relax and get into the Habit. Oh and Happy New Year! Blackfriars launches Back to Basics Menu We always try to listen to you - our lovely diners! And you seem to be asking for more home-comforts - the sort of food your mother cooks! Well there's nothing more satisfying than a good old fashioned Shepherds Pie so here it is, our 'Back to Basics' Winter Menu. Lunch is available as usual from £12 for 2 courses. And here are a few mouth-watering highlights below: ♦  Wild mushroom soup, chive cappuccino, truffle oil £4 ♦  Cumbrian black pudding, celeriac, apple & watercress salad £6 ♦  North Sea fish pie, sauteed spinach £11 ♦  Calf's liver, creamy mash, seasonal greens, onion gravy, crispy bacon £12 ♦  Sticky toffee pudding, salt butter caramel, clotted cream £5 You also asked us to provide even better value wine - so we have! In fact, we've slashed over 25% off some of our wines with Georges Duboeuf house red or white now from £9 a carafe! Offer Of The Month No such thing as a free lunch? Ok, forget the free lunch but we can offer FREE USE OF MEETING ROOMS!! We'd like to invite you and your team to use our conference facilities for FREE!! Just pick a day when you need an away-day, business lunch, training day or presentation, dine in our award-winning restaurant and we'll give you the rooms for FREE - saving you a massive £175! Blackfriars Meeting Rooms can accommodate 40 guests seated theatre style, 30 horse-shoe or 16 for private dining. Contact Michael, Marlena or Liam on 0191 261 5945 or go online at www.blackfriarsrestaurant.co.uk to make your booking. Offer available till end of February 2009, at managers' discretion, advance bookings only when at least 6 people lunch in the restaurant - coffee on arrival and 2 course lunch from just £15. What's on at Blackfriars Jimmy's Burns night - Sunday 25 January 2009. The obligatory annual celebratory tribute to the life, work and spirit of the great Scottish poet, Robert Burns (1759-1796), this is destined to be the usual gastro-literary uproar of drunken debauchery, hedonistic madness, more whisky than you can shake a haggis at, mixed with some damn fine food! Book at your peril! £30 pp includes aperitif, delicious 3 course meal & whisky coffee. www.blackfriarsrestaurant.co.uk to book. Tis' the season for... butternut squash Roasted partridge, caramelised butternut squash, herb sauce Serves 4 1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. 2. Heat a large ovenproof frying pan until hot and add the 2 tbsp olive oil and 4 partridges. Cook the partridges on all sides, until golden brown all over, then transfer to the oven to roast for about 20-25 minutes, or until completely cooked through. Pierce the thigh meat with a skewer - if the juices run clear the partridge is cooked. Remove the partridges from the oven and rest for ten minutes. 3. For the butternut squash, cut about 2 kg butternut squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Cut each half lengthwise into four evenly sized pieces. 4. Place 25g butter and 1 tbsp clear honey into a small saucepan and heat until melted and combined. Brush the honey and butter mixture over the squash and then place onto a baking tray. Transfer to the oven to roast for 10-15 minutes, or until tender and golden brown. 5. For the green herb sauce, crush 1 clove garlic and place into a bowl with about 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chervil and tarragon. 6. Add 1 tbsp capers, 1 tbsp gherkins and 2 anchovy fillets, then stir in 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp white wine vinegar and 8 tbsp olive oil. Stir well to combine and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 7. To serve, place a pile of roasted squash onto four plates then top each with a roasted partridge. Pour some green herb sauce over and serve the remaining sauce separately. Chef's top tip Our very own chef, Jimmy offers up 'Jimmy's Top Tip'. "Want an incredibly intense butternut squash puree for your risotto? Slice squash in half, brush with oil and roast with garlic as usual; scoop out of skin and blend; but now freeze and then thaw to separate excess water which can then just be poured off." Meet the supplier Fresh, local and seasonal is inscribed into everything we do at Blackfriars. We take 5 minutes to talk to our fish supplier, Graham Pickup of Frank Round Fish. What range of products does Frank Rounds Fish produce? Frank Rounds is a fish wholesaler so we don't make any of our own products but we source and supply the whole range of fresh and frozen seafood, from cod to cockles! What made you want to set your business up? The business was actually established in the 1940's; we are the oldest company at the North Shields Fish Quay, but I bought it about 17 years ago. I started working for Frank Round's as a part time driver in the 1980's but over the years I got more and more involved with the company. I had always dreamed of owning my own business so when the opportunity arose to buy Frank Round's, I couldn't resist! Have you tasted any of the dishes made with your ingredients? Are you proud to see your ingredients on the Blackfriars menu? I've been supplying to Blackfriars ever since Andy opened it in 2002 and am very proud to have had my fish on the menu for so long. I love the countryside in the North East so it's really great to see a restaurant that brings a taste of the country into Newcastle city centre and to have watched Blackfriars' list of local suppliers grow every year. I've eaten at the restaurant a number of times over the years and have seen some really exciting dishes made with my fish but I normally choose meat when I dine out; I can eat fish anytime! Do you spend a lot of time in the kitchen at home? Yes, both my wife and I really enjoy cooking at home and we have recently got an Aga so I've spent a lot of time learning to cook with that! Meet the team This month we had a five minute interview with Blackfriars' Chris Reygate AKA Teddy to find out exactly what it is that makes him tick. Here are his answers... Name: Chris Reygate (aka Teddy!) Position: Chef Friends and family - no one famous, just good friends having a laugh with good British food. Who would you invite to your dream dinner party? What is your favourite food? As you can tell I'm very passionate about British food and love simply cooked seasonal produce with loads of fresh herbs. I always buy local because it always tastes better than things that have been stored for a long time and shipped across the world! I've also got an allotment with Andy (owner) and I've just harvested my first crop of broad beans. Have you ever met any famous people? The Chuckle Brothers - what an experience! What sort of music do you like? All sorts! Classical, indie, ska and rap but will listen to pretty much anything which is just as well as the sound system in the kitchen is permanently on volume level 11!