Month: March 2026

Husband and wife entrepreneurs from Albania have brought the authentic flavours of the Mediterranean to Warwick with the launch of their new restaurant.

Eric Anderson and Valentina Sulaj are realising their dream of opening a restaurant in the UK after falling in love with the town they first visited as tourists – and have now called home for 10 years.

Smith Street Restaurant, which replaces the former Aubergine Turkish restaurant, promises a new chapter of food ‘made with love.’

But it’s not unfamiliar territory to the couple who ran their own eatery four months of the year with Eric’s parents, in Greece, prior to making the move.

And with their son Sean heading up front of house, Eric has kept the tradition going of keeping it in the family.

He said: “My grandparents had Mediterranean restaurants. My grandfather used to be like a fisherman in Albania and loved cooking all sorts of fish. My father also followed in his footsteps and opened a restaurant.

“We wanted to open a Mediterranean restaurant because there are so many different dishes you can make. The food in that part of the world is beautiful and very healthy, not heavy and everything is homemade.

“We make sure everything is fresh and we’d rather make less profit than cut corners on the quality of the food we’re offering. We’re not greedy people. This is a family business and our heart and soul goes into every mouthful.

He added: “I’m so happy to finally have my own restaurant in the UK. I just love the people and the culture over here and I am looking forward to getting to know our customers and being part of the community.”

Carefully overseeing the menu with Valentina, is Chef Sam O’Neill, from Dudley, who has 25 years of culinary experience in the Midlands.

Every dish is prepared fresh, using mainly locally sourced ingredients and using techniques rooted in Mediterranean tradition, from Greek, Spanish and Italian influences to Albanian and Turkish, plus traditional English favourites.

It will also be adjusted seasonally, with ‘Valentina Specials’ regularly crafted to introduce something different to diners.

Sam said: “Working at Smith Street Restaurant has given me the opportunity to reignite my passion for cooking by way of having creative freedom.

“The menu was developed in a way that would offer a snapshot journey around the Mediterranean with something for everyone to enjoy.

“In the heart of this historic town we aim for our customers to take the time to sit, relax and enjoy the experience of what an independent restaurant has to offer – a more personalised service from people that love what they do.”

This is seen throughout the restaurant including a bar handbuilt by Eric – who has also spent a period in the furniture trade – and framed cross stitch artworks lovingly made by Valentina adorning the walls.

As another way of giving back to the community that has welcomed them in, Eric and Valentina are also offering 20% off the bill for Blue Light workers.

Eric said: “We’re a family who believes food should bring people closer, not be rushed between bookings. When the opportunity came to take over Smith Street, we saw more than a restaurant. We saw potential. A beautiful space in the heart of Warwick that deserved proper flavours, warmer service, and evenings that people would remember.

“For us it’s about making people feel they are being welcomed into our own home and eating something delicious and comforting. We’re giving them a little piece of a Mediterranean in the heart of Warwick.”

A village pub in south Warwickshire is once again proving it has the recipe for success after scooping a string of awards for five of its pies.

The Fleur de Lys shortlisted recipes have been selected from hundreds of entries in the prestigious British Pie Awards.

The pub’s Butter Chicken Pie scooped Gold while their Beef & Mushroom Stroganoff Pie took Silver. Bronze was awarded for their Butternut Squash & Goats Cheese Pie; Cheeseburger Pie and Christmas Steak Pie (filled with British beef steak, pigs in blankets, honey roasted carrots and parsnips, mulled wine sauce.)

They were among the ‘hot favourites’ singled out by a panel made up of over 180 leading experts from the retail, baking and butchery sectors as part of British Pie Week last week.

Held annually in Melton Mowbray, the Rural Capital of Food, the Awards honour the best pie-makers across Britain, from small independents to large-scale producers.

Owner Emma Woodhouse said: “We’re so delighted to continue to honour the pie-making legacy that the Fleur De Lys is renowned for. It always feels a bit like David vs Goliath going up against the likes of Ginsters, Tesco and Waitrose in these awards, but what we lack in scale we more than make up for in love.

“Our pie chefs – Rachel Griffiths and Gemma Hughes – are forensic about creating the perfect pie. We have the confidence of our customers who return time and time again to try our pies, but it’s like the cherry on top to be recognised nationally by the judges at the British Pie Awards.”

The pub first began serving pies through the infamous kitchen hatch during the 1950s, drawing crowds from all over the Midlands to sample Mr Brookes’ finest steak and kidney or chicken and mushroom pies.

The inn was mainly frequented by farmers who’d come in for a pie and a pint after they’d finished harvesting. The licensee at the time bought Emscote Mill in Warwick, from where they distributed nationwide but eventually the original pie recipe and company was sold to Pukka Pies.

But, under the auspices of current landlords Emma and Nick Woodhouse, in 2018 The Lowsonford Pie Company was born and all 11 flavours of pie are now handmade and served directly from the Fleur De Lys kitchen, headed up by Rachel Griffiths.

Rachel said: “We cooked 317 pies in order to get the handful that we entered into the awards. Planning for these awards starts well in advance and we experiment with new recipes to get just the right mix of traditional entries and fusion flavours. This is the first time we’ve received a Gold award and we’re really proud that all the hard work paid off.”

It wasn’t until the early 20th century when The Fleur de Lys first opened as a tavern, later going on to introduce the ‘pioneering’ idea of serving food and giving rise to the now famous Fleur De Lys pies.

It is not the first accolade for the Fleur de Lys, whose pie making team have a real appetite for awards success.

All the unique flavours created for the awards are currently available on the Specials Menu at the Fleur De Lys, whilst stocks last.

Here’s how to find it: Fleur de Lys, Lapworth Street, Lowsonford. B95 5HJ.

The Fleur de Lys
The Fleur de Lys sits on the banks of the Stratford Canal, between winding country roads that used to be part of the Forest of Arden, and boasts an acre of land, making it a popular stop-off for canal users.

The dog-friendly pub also has a 4-star rating on Tripadvisor, 4.4-star rating on Google reviews and a 4.5 out of 5 on OpenTable.

The menu is curated with hearty pub dishes, with the freshest and most local ingredients used by first-class butchers, fishmongers, and grocers. There is also a Sunday menu, Specials Board and – of course – a garden menu for those dining al-fresco.

Pies have been with us since the Middle Ages when they were called ‘coffyns’.
At that time the poor ate pies made from the entrails of venison, which are called ‘umbles’ hence the expression ‘To Eat Umble Pie.’

Something is ‘stirring’ after dark under The Railway Arches in Leamington. . .

A local distiller is mixing it up for gin lovers with the launch of a new experience designed to inspire his next product.

Alchemy After Hours, which starts on April 2nd, invites visitors to get creative with new experimental botanicals in a fun 90-minute session at Warwickshire Gin Company.

Headed up by Dave Blick, the evening begins with a welcome drink before being guided through five experimental gins and their honey rum, each with its own story, inspiration and flavour profile. Visitors will then be asked to choose three more drinks to explore the spirits in full.

Some of the new unique flavours waiting to make the cut include Dave’s twist on Rhubarb, Mint and Blackcurrant and Green Valley Tea.

Dave said: “These creations aren’t available anywhere else. They’re not in production. They’re not on shelves. They exist only here, for those curious enough to step behind the scenes. Taste them. Challenge them – and tell us which ones deserve to escape the lab!”

He added: “The last gin we made was three years ago so we wanted to freshen things up a bit. I’ll be very interested to see what the feedback is from people who come along and, who knows, our next product on the shelves could be born from one of these sessions!”

The inspiration behind the Warwickshire Gin Company collection comes from a desire to capture a moment in history, developing flavours to fully represent the county’s own unique story and bringing the range of hand-crafted flavours to life.

Leamington on Parade – WGC’s first concept gin which launched the business in 2018 – is inspired by the true story of circus elephant trainer Sam Lockhart in the 1880s. The other gins are The Kingmaker, named after Richard Neville 16^th Earl of Warwick; Peeping Tom, inspired by the legend of Coventry’s Lady Godiva; Pelota Dry Gin, inspired by Spanish Merchant named Juan Augurio Perera who invented lawn tennis and opened the world’s first Lawn Tennis Club in Leamington in 1873; and The Philosopher’s Daughter, inspired by Elizabeth Dee, daughter of John Dee, one of Queen Elizabeth I’s most trusted advisors.

The distillery also offers popular visitor experiences – Gin Tasting, Cocktails at The Distillery and Afternoon Gin & Tea, plus a range of build-your-own branded gift bundles, including spirits, goblet, mixers and gin or rum-infused chocolates.

WGC shot to the envied top spot on Tripadvisor thanks to over 170 five-star reviews from visitors. Internationally it’s also made its mark, achieving the “Travellers’ Choice Award” which puts the Warwickshire distillery in the top 10% of businesses listed in the world based on reviews.

For bookings visit HERE.