A tiny piece of England

The downtown is of a particularly exquisite charm, detouring words beyond visual description. Very conservative and self-centred and yet holding the noble cosmopolitan disposition, it is drawing distinctive chalk lines in black and white between the past and the NOW. Back in 2008, a renowned chef and hospitality expert at the City College in Norwich found himself captured in the marvels of the land, the taste of the food and the scent of the river, sprinkled almost everywhere. Mick Cooper instantly decided then to move his life and work here and to dedicate his skills to support children without parental concern.

Phoenix Café and Bakery is the England, as it should be, the England of a moderate taste, consistent and marvellous food, the inevitable tea and the sandwiches that go with it. To be honest, short bread is also a good partner in this tea time game. Get the local providers’ goods is the key for the success, as Chefs dream of people eating clean. A prep room and kitchen behind a glass displays every stage of your food prepared. And as you grab an eye-catching title from the Take a Book – Bring Another shelves in the salon, those behind the glass would dwell on fine tuning skills, working patiently with the youngsters from the Home for children without parental concern.

You know what is about these kids…most of them are bright and talented. By the time they reach 18 years of age they’ll be kicked out from the institution with no even a vague idea of a perspective for their future. Sitting from this side of the glass and feeling rather safe and comfortable, I was thinking is this a vocational training kitchen or a mending life inequities workshop. Whatever the label, it did repair frozen hearts, gaps where the hearts should be, ice-cold hands and rigor fates.

They proceed to master cooking and confectionery and how to be a patisserie Chef all this in English and I continue to read the next page calmed and rested. You see where the peace of mind is at…there always be disparities and whilst the key lies with seeker, it’s good to have this substantial dose of “social entrepreneurship” , ran by those who know how to do business and improve the community with a zest of added value every day...The Bovril hot drink - this Monday's hot drink, made warm once again the soul of our Le Chef, as it did for the frozen hearts and bodies of those who jumped in the icy Danube river waters for the cross according to a traditional habit on Йордановден - January, the 6th.

There’s a common saying about the British cuisine reaching beyond its reputation…Once upon a Tudors’ time in the English counties and and even in London, to use a lemon zest had been an exotic undertaking. The seasoning, this status symbol – a way to show wealth and prosperity. And the cuisine in Britain – the centre of the empire had bend to the local tastes, traditions and preferences.

Various fills and of course not just plane paste, the pie is every housewife’s wish to cook practically. A genuine English one is what they call the bacon at Phoenix Café, exceptionally delicious! The sausages – now hanging over the stoves – waiting. Ah, the cakes, banana breads, muffins and cheese cake…and don’t forget the scones – so fluffy under crispy crust. A lavishing breakfast bite!

A walk around old wrought-balcony houses, down tucked narrow streets, the old town reveals its wonders as a magician at the Renaissance Fair – the castle and the galleries, museums and unique urban architecture, all the way to Stambol Kapiya – the main gate of the town. A step further and we are back for lunch at Phoenix café. The abundance of quiches, soups and roasted meat makes the new comers try from everything.

A whirl of fruity juices mildly mingling with the crisps of sugar until you become fully aware how special a Saturday at Phoenix Café may be. The café is now closed being hit by the worst surprise a small England could bare. It has been devotedly serving the community for five glorious years, but couldn’t survive the barbarian pillaging of its new owners. The small England of Vidin used to decorate the downtown at the Stambol Kapiya and the fountains, shockingly you won‘t find it there anymore. Phoenix Café and Bakery was a proud member of the LocalFood.bg network.

When in town, by all means drop in at one of those cosy, small venues and have a cup of hot chocolate according to a genuine family recipe. Have a look around and see of they have some books to borrow. Enjoy the view and the whirling scent of freshly baked ginger and orange peel biscuits. The scents, the tastes and the time spent in good company laughing so loud, as you know each other from the dawn of ages, will be the things that you'll remember at the end of the day. The fruity bite of puréed strawberries as they mix beautifully within a bed of soft cake to the completeness of a flirty treat and refreshment. The summers were strawberry nice at Phoenix Café! It was so lovely to see major life issues sorted out for a certain moment in time... And was such a pleasure to read a book undisturbed, knowing that everything is going to be just fine.