Why I'm becoming a Brownie Leader

One thing that you're sure to recognise from your childhood is Girlguiding or Scouts as they've been around for over 100 years. Although they've changed a lot throughout the years, they've always been a place where you can go to meet with friends and learn outside of a school setting. I myself was a Brownie (the second group in the hierarchy of GirlGuiding from age 7-10) although I don't recall much from those days except an abundance of crafts and lots of outdoor activities.

I'll get into why I'm becoming a Brownie Leader, but first a bit of background. In 2018, in early January,  I was in the 'new year, new me' phase. I needed to find something else to introduce into my life, a new hobby, maybe volunteering.  As luck would have it, I was browsing Instagram and I stumbled across an advert for Girlguiding, looking for volunteers to spare time to help local groups. At the time I had ambitions to possibly go into teaching, although this didn't pan out, so I thought it would be the perfect thing to do.

It's a nerve-racking thing to do, join an established group when you don't have much experience around kids or anything like this but sometimes you have to put yourself in these situations to get something out of them. And get something I did. It took me a while to find my feet, start interacting with the girls and understanding how I could be of some help but when I did, every week it felt more and more rewarding.



For over a year I was a Unit Helper, coming into the meetings every Thursday night to support the leader's sessions, helping out with games and generally supporting the girls in their activities. In the Spring of 2019, I was asked about becoming one of the leadership team within the unit I attend. At first, I wasn't really up for it, and at the time I was going off for a few months to retrain, so I put it on the back burner. When I came back in September, I had a discussion with our Brown Owl and decided I had nothing to lose, so why not give it a go.

The process of becoming a leader is much like an NVQ or something similar in that you have a booklet of tasks you need to complete and evidence you need to collect whilst getting parts signed off as you go. I'm probably around 75% of the way there, so I'm hoping to finish before the end of Spring, maybe sooner if all falls into place.

So, why did I decide to become a Brownie Leader, and why do I value my volunteering position as much as I do?

Brownies (and other sections of Girlguiding) provide girls with an opportunity to meet with friends, make new friends and generally just be around local girls without pressure or judgement. Before I started attending the sessions, I didn't realise how much I think young girls need this. With mounting pressures starting with girls younger and younger, a place where they can just have fun without people thinking they look silly or learn new and exciting life skills with the support of other young girls is so important. I've heard a few of the girls in our unit mention themselves in a negative way or compare themselves to others and I value the opportunity to rebuttal their statements and empower these girls to think positively about themselves providing a platform for them to grow in the future.

Further on this point, it is a chance to help shape a young girls future. We do such exciting and creative things at Brownies, whilst we also talk about issues and fight stereotypes. We want to show the girls that no matter what they want to do when they are older or whoever they want to be, it's possible. I think that it is extremely valuable to do this.

Thinking about more selfish reasons for becoming a Brownie leader, I feel a sense of self-fulfilment in helping the girls to realise their potential. It's a great position to be in and its a pleasure to go in every week to speak to the girls and see how they are growing.

When at Brownies, we get to do lots of cool crafts, I do love a craft, and we get the opportunity to visit places with the group. For example, we went to the panto on ice before Christmas, have been to Whitby on pack holiday and we're looking to go to Flamingo Land in September. We're not travelling across the World or anything (although you can) but I enjoy getting out and experiencing things I otherwise wouldn't.

Finally, I think becoming a Brownie Leader is just fun. I get to go for an hour and a half every Thursday to spend time with some fantastic leaders and bright young girls to play games, do crafts and complete activities. If that isn't a reason in itself to be a part of Girlguiding, I don't know what is.

If you're considering applying to volunteer at a local Girlguiding (or Scout) group, I'd definitely suggest you go for it. There are different age groups you can help with and varying levels of commitment you can offer and you can, of course, take time off when you need. Please get in touch if you have any questions, want to talk about what the leadership booklet entails or you're currently going through it. It would be great to speak to other leaders-to-be!

Oh, and did I mention you get a cool owl name? The girls decided that I'm 'Happy Owl'. I'm pretty sure they don't know me too well...

Also, if I've inspired you to enrol your child, get her to a session, I'm sure she will love it.

Three tried and tested places on Teesside to visit during Veganuary

At the start of a new year, everyone starts to eat a little greener, some even go full vegan for the month that is dubbed, Veganuary. Although I'm far from a Vegan, I've tried some delicious places on Teesside that specialise in fully plant-based cuisine. For anyone trying Veganuary this year, it might be wise to check these places out to try some yummy food and get some ideas to cook up yourself. Although no meat will be dished up at these places, your carnivore friends should definitely visit with you as they won't miss not having it on their plate with the culinary delights they'll be served at these three places.

First on the list is Alkaline Kitchen, a fully vegan health cafe located on Middlesbrough's up-and-coming Albert Street. Opened early last year, the cafe offers innovative food which is oil-free, preservative-free, gluten-free, soy-free and refined sugar-free. I've been on two occasions now and the food is always colourful, full of goodness and delicious. Offering a varied menu from lunch until teatime, everything about the food options is creative and exciting. There is so much goodness on the plate and it all works so well together. If you're looking to try something unlike anything you've had before, this is definitely the place to go.

Next up is The Waiting Room situated in Eaglescliffe right next to the station, not far from Preston Park. I've written about this place before as I've been a few times now and although I haven't been for a while, I'm eager to get back. The Waiting Room is promoted as a vegetarian restaurant, however, the staff here are happy to make most dishes vegan where possible, so vegans will have lots of choices when they visit.

Here you get some fantastic food that feels homemade and cosy. As it is all made with vegetables, everything you eat feels filling and good for you, although some dishes can be quite hearty. What I love about this place is that their menu changes depending on the season, although some dishes such as the enchilada stay year-round. Even from season to season they change up what they offer so often if you go back you probably won't recognise the menu.

Now it's time for dessert with Ellephant Vegan Bakery, a fairly new business established in 2019. Elle and her partner Alex whip up some amazing vegan treats from cupcakes and cookies to pizza rolls and quiche. Now with a unit in Stockton, they sell their products at farmer's markets and events across the region and take orders to collect. Their cakes are literally to die for, so rich and moist. You won't be able to tell they are vegan. 

There are plenty more vegan spots in the area and also places that cater heavily to people on a plant-based diet. With the popularity of this way of eating on the up, I can only see more places offering more delicious vegan grub. Do you have a favourite spot in Teesside for vegan/vegetarian food?

Trying alternative parmos at the Prickly Pear Bistro, Middlesbrough

Today I've got my first food review as This Northerner, and I'm pleased to say it's a good one.  Last night, I went for tea with my friend to a fairly new restaurant which is a based out of town in a local business centre. The Prickly Pear Bistro, located in the TAD Centre in Middlesbrough, has not been open very long and has already made my hit list of places to try. I've been following their Instagram closely over the past couple of weeks and I was excited when an opportunity to visit recently came up.

We went to the restaurant straight from work and it was relatively quiet until around 6.30pm. The space itself is beautifully decorated with lots of greenery, wooden beams and well-placed lighting.

As well as its normal menu, the Prickly Pear Bistro has a separate menu that displays its 35 different parmos which take inspiration from locations across the world. There's even a map on the back which shows you the place each parmo hails from. Among the countries which inspire the humble Teesside delicacy to step it up are the USA, China, Italy, Greece and Japan.

For any readers outside of Teesside, the parmo is a Middlesbrough staple which involves deep-frying a chicken breast covered in breadcrumbs, slathering it in bechamel sauce then covering it with cheese and sitting it under the grill to make it oozy and gooey. They are so delicious but so very bad for you.

After much deliberation, I decided to go for the Tropicana inspired by Hawaii, which is topped with ham and pineapple, whilst my friend chose the Mac Attack, taking inspiration from the UK, which was topped with macaroni cheese and bacon.

I try to be quite cautious when it comes to picking items from a menu as I've had some terrible meals when I was trying to be adventurous, so I was worried about my choice. I've never had any other parmo than just an original and I thought the extra toppings may have ruined it. How wrong I was.

When it arrived the portion size was massive and it was accompanied by chips and a decent-sized salad. Although a bit pricy for a regular-sized parmo at £13.50, you really did get value for money with the quality and quantity of food. On request, we were provided with garlic sauce, although it was a shame to learn this was an extra 50p. When I dug into my parmo, I was so pleased with my choice. The chicken was fresh and perfectly cooked and it was topped with thick ham, bechamel sauce, two pineapple rings and heapings of cheese.

I'm already a fan of pineapple on pizza, so pineapple on parmo seemed like the obvious next step. Oh my, it was so tasty. The combination all worked so well together. I don't know if I can go back to a normal parmo ever again. The parmo topped with macaroni cheese that my friend ordered was also delicious, so I'm told, although I didn't actually get a bite! It definitely looks like one I would order myself in the future.

Although a bit out of the way, I would recommend a visit to The Prickly Pear Bistro. Although the menu is heavy on the parmo-front, there are a few other options that should keep everyone happy. With so much choice, I'm already planning my next visit and whilst I do, I'm whittling down the parmo that I want to try next.

Eating around the World with The Butterfly Quarter | Middlesbrough

One of my favourite things to do is go out and try new restaurants. I'm sure I may have said that once, or twice... This week one of Middlesbrough's healthy restaurants decided it was time to change up and become a cocktail and tapas venue. I have to say, I'm very happy about that. My friend Rachel and I love tapas, antipasto and charcuterie boards and we're pretty much on a mission to try all of them in Teesside. We've already been to Alchemy & Co., Lost Property and No.34, but we're always looking for something new so we were very excited to try The Butterfly Quarter.

The Butterfly Quarter is a quaint and striking space with an industrial edge. When we sat down we were given two menus each, one full of cocktails and the other laden with tapas options. We were in heaven. On the tapas menu, there was a deal which gave you three plates and a glass of wine for £15. We instantly knew this was the one for us and got to selecting six options for us to share. We chose Bruschetta Di Pomodori (Italy), Croquetas De Jamon (Spain), Arancini (Italy), Patatas Bravas (Spain), Funghi All'aglio (Italy), Mozzarella In Crosta (Italy) and as another extra we chose bread with three dips; Moroccan hummus, red pepper romesco and aubergine mutabai. As we'd chosen the special deal, our three choices each came on a wooden board with our bread as a cheeky little extra.

Each of the dishes were super delicious. My favourite was the Croquetas, followed closely by the Patatas Bravas and the Bruschetta. Oh, and the Mozzarella sticks and their dip was delicious too. We tried our best to clear our boards and did a pretty good job but we maybe aimed too high when we ordered the bread too.

Whilst we were there, they had an acoustic artist who really added a lovely vibe to the night without overpowering conversation. The staff at The Butterfly Quarter were friendly and very accommodating considering they were just getting used to the new elements as well.

There are quite a few local places coming around to the idea of tapas, but I think The Butterfly Quarter have really set a high standard and I would definitely be back again. If not to eat tapas, to definitely work through their cocktail menu.

Taking on the challenge at Man vs Food Grill House, Middlesbrough

I've been extremely lucky to be invited to try out a couple of exciting restaurants and bars recently including Sunderland FC's Riverside Brasserie and the Potting Shed in Northallerton. Another invite popped into my inbox last week which was for the new Man vs Food Grill House opening in Middlesbrough. With locations already in South Shields, Newcastle and Consett, Middlesbrough was just another string to its bow lower down in the country. Boasting massive portions, extreme challenges and amazing meat, it was time to try...

I popped down after work the day before it's official opening with my friend Kirsty. Having booked the earliest slot, the restaurant was relatively quiet when we arrived but soon enough it was full of excited people ready to get their first try of this exciting new venue.

The menu is pretty vast with options from burgers to full sandwiches, meat platters and parmos. With so much choice it was hard to decide what we were going to try. After quite a time browsing the menu, I decided on the brisket pickle 'bad boy sandwich' whilst Kirsty chose the pulled beef. When they arrived we were both pleasantly surprised by the sheer size of the portion we were being served.

My sandwich was piled high with meat, pickles, coleslaw and chips, and with this, I got a portion of chips and a side of pit beans. Kirsty's pulled beef was in a neat little dish topped with hot peri-peri sauce accompanied by fries and coleslaw.

There was no way I was going to be able to pick up my sandwich and eat it conventionally. I did try, but it was not possible, so I went at it with a knife and fork. It was very tasty but also super filling and when I couldn't eat anymore, I still had quite a bit left. The side of pit beans was very tasty, like bbq-style baked beans. Kirsty enjoyed her pulled beef, but again the mass of food beat her.

We were seriously feeling full at this point having taken on our main meal and failed miserably. We did, however, feel like the amazing-sounding dessert menu deserved to be taken on. Filled with cheesecakes and waffles, the dessert menu is the stuff dreams are made of. We decided on a cheesecake each and then made the decision to have half of each others. I chose the Nutella whilst Kirsty went for Aero mint chocolate. Again the size of these desserts was ginormous. There was no way we were going to finish half let alone a full portion. We had a good few bites and decided the rest had to be boxed up to come home. Our favourite was definitely the Nutella one as the Aero just wasn't chocolatey enough for us.

Although this restaurant might be considered an expensive choice, the portions they serve are seriously worth it. With quality meat and exceptional sides, it really is a place to consider for a meal out with friends or family. Just make sure to order less and share! Especially with desserts, unless you want more for later...

The afternoon tea that embodies Teesside - Skelton Mill Tea Rooms

The humble parmo. I've spoken about my love for it before and explained what one is. A parmo is a Middlesbrough 'delicacy' which includes fried chicken, bechamel sauce and CHEESE! In Middlesbrough, it will be hard for you to find someone who doesn't like the parmo. Recently my Mum came across an afternoon tea that included one rather than the usual sandwiches. That's like two of my favourite things combined into one which meant I had to visit and try it out.

Located around 10 minutes from Middlesbrough, Skelton Mill Tea Rooms is just off a country road surrounded by greenery. As well as the tea rooms, on the site, they have glamping pods and a vintage/shabby chic shop.

Having booked our time slot and pre-ordered our afternoon tea, it wasn't long before we were presented with a stand full of gorgeous food and a plate of chips. The staff were super friendly and couldn't do enough to ensure we were happy.

With our parmo and chips, the tea rooms included two pots of garlic sauce, a bowl of salad and some buttered bread. Although I had not long had my breakfast, I practically wolfed down my portion as it was really tasty and something so different for an afternoon tea.

After the parmo, it was time for the scone. As I'm not one for fresh cream, and they'd already pre-creamed the scones, they kindly gave us another scone (raspberry and white chocolate) for me to have with butter and jam. This was the perfect consistency for a scone, very light but also solid enough to ensure it didn't crumble on my plate. The flavours of this one were really nice and complimented each other perfectly. I'd definitely be back for 'cream tea' if it included these scones.

Last but not least was the cake. In my opinion, the selection of sweet treats wasn't the best with only a small chocolate cake and a little jelly and custard, but to be honest, by this point I wasn't bothered. The parmo and the scone filled me up, so I was happy with the delicious food I'd already had. Having said that, I did spot some delicious cakes on the sideboard, so I definitely think I'd pop back just for cake.

Myself and Mum thoroughly enjoyed our time at Skelton Mill Tea Rooms. The staff were exceptionally nice, the food was so good and the price was very reasonable. For our parmo afternoon tea for two, it was only £20! Usually, you'd pay that much per person at some places.

If you live in the area I would definitely say you need to visit if you are fond of the humble parmo.

For more afternoon tea reviews, click here!

Pretending I'm in the Caribbean at Middlesbrough's new restaurant -Turtle Bay

In Middlesbrough at the minute, we are starting to get some fab places to eat and drink popping up. It makes my heart happy knowing I have so much more choice now. With all the independents making waves on the food scene, it's nice to see chain restaurants starting to catch up with the introduction of Patisserie Valerie and even a Krispie Kreme stall!

There have been many rumours about further venues opening up including Bistrot Pierre, a french restaurant and an ice bar in the new snow centre which will be situated in Middlehaven but the one that I've been looking forward to is Turtle Bay. You'll be glad to hear that you haven't got long to wait at all to enjoy the flavours of the Caribbean, it opens tomorrow (Sunday 23rd April)!

Myself and a selection of other North East bloggers and media got a chance to visit Turtle Bay to experience the food and cocktails ahead of its opening.

One big mistake a few of us made, that we quickly realised when visiting Turtle Bay was that we had decided to drive. Turtle Bay's cocktail menu is laden with delicious choices for everyone using 40 different rums, my favourite spirit! With a two for one happy hour lasting all day (with the exclusion of 7pm-10pm) everyone will have the perfect excuse to try out copious cocktails. Next time I'll just make sure I'm not driving!

After sampling some drinks and hearing more about Middlesbrough's newest restaurant and stand-alone bar, including the fact they serve over 50 authentic Caribbean dishes, have created 50 new local jobs and have the capacity of 231 seats, we sat down to sample some grub!

The restaurant inside is absolutely stunning, everywhere is bright with colour adorned with posters, millions of lights and quirky Caribbean signage. You can't help but to stare at the restaurant as you are waiting for food to be served, well that's what I did anyway.

Once we were all seated, we began with two platters full of vegetarian and meat starters including sweetcorn fritter, okra fries, beef ribs and jerk chicken wings. All of the different elements were lovely and introduced our palettes to the spice that was going to be coming our way over the next few courses!

Next up was the curries. We had a vegan curry which may have been the spiciest thing I've ever tasted, apart from when I put too much chilli in my own cooking... It was full of tonnes of good stuff like sweet potato, spinach and kidney beans. We also had a beef and potato curry which I think quickly became the table's favourite.

When them two dishes were devoured another two came along. This time we were on to the meat. They provided the table with a whole jerk chicken which was beautifully chargrilled and drizzled with a lovely chutney and some beef ribs. I'd never tried beef ribs before and I always say I don't like ribs, but these were super tasty. The meat fell off the bone and when paired with their watermelon chow it was so good.

Just when we thought that we couldn't stomach another main meal, they came out with the bobby dazzler. A meal made just for that night, they only went and made up a jerk parmo. Oh my, it was delicious. The chicken was super thin and the cheese and bechamel ratio was just right. We were all so disappointed that we wouldn't get to taste it again.

Now completely satisfied with our mains, it was time to see the desserts. Sat with mostly girls who were obsessed with sweet things, this was always going to be the most anticipated course. The selection board included rum and raisin bread pudding, chocolate brownie, passionfruit cheesecake, grilled pineapple and banana & toffee cheesecake. Everyone quickly starting taking forkfuls of each dessert. My favourite by a mile was the rum and raisin bread pudding. I've never had bread and butter pudding in my life, but oh this was something. It was super tasty and just melted in your mouth. With some ice cream, I think this is going to be one of my favourite desserts.

After all the food it was time to say our farewells and get excited about our return.

I hope that I've successfully made your mouth water and that you are ready to book your visit to Turtle Bay. I know that I am already looking the next occasion I can drink all the rum and eat all the jerk-spiced dishes.

If you're not from Middlesbrough, Turtle Bay have restaurants across the country, have a nosy at their website to find one close to you.

Our new work lunch spot - Aurum Lounge, Middlesbrough

Everyone loves to get out of the office at lunchtime, especially on a Friday, to go and out to eat. Sometimes you try to be healthy but other times it's all about the treats.  I work just outside of Middlesbrough town centre and there aren't many places to eat lunch around us that are great. Most places are too expensive, over-run by students or the food just isn't the best.

If you want the good stuff you have to trek all the way to the other side of town and then you are cutting into your time to eat. Recently a restaurant has opened 2 minutes from my work and I've just tried it out, not once, but twice.

The Aurum Lounge is a restaurant come shisha bar, offering a menu of organic gourmet food. From burgers and salads to steaks and extravagant desserts, Aurum Lounge provides the lot. I first visited with my Mum and I had the chicken burger, whilst she had the parmo with mushroom.

I really enjoyed my chicken burger, although it was a little too spicy for me, but then I'm just a wimp with spices! Mum's parmo was nice, although I think it could have done with more bechamel sauce.

The second time I visited was a week later with my friend from work and we both decided on the chicken wrap. Although it still had the spicy taste, this time it seemed a lot milder and I really enjoyed it. All the food is really good quality and they take great care in preparing your meal.

I really like the Aurum Lounge, it is a really calm, chilled out vibe. All the staff are friendly and happy to help with any request. I will definitely be back to try out more of their menu, maybe even tasting one of their desserts!

Birthday celebrations at The Brierley, Acklam Hall - Middlesbrough

This month marked a very special birthday for my Mum, she turned the big 5-0. To celebrate this we had to do it in style and the only way we know how is to have afternoon tea. Having already visited Acklam Hall for an Easter afternoon tea last year, we decided it would be the perfect location for this milestone day.

Before it was time to get dolled up and eat scones, I rushed to town to get some decorations for the table and cakes that had specifically been requested by the birthday girl. After legging it around town, I picked up what I needed and jogged back to the car, trying very hard not to lose the helium balloons I'd just purchased.

Thankfully, Mum was running late so this gave me time to hotfoot it to Acklam Hall and set up the table before her and my sister arrived. I'm glad I took the time to do this as she was very surprised and loved the setup.

We all chose the 'Lady Anne's tea' with a slight variation on sandwiches as we are mega fusspots. We settled on cream cheese, ham, grated cheese and egg sandwiches, oh how boring of us. We each had two scones, one plain and the other fruit which were lovely and warm. The plate of cakes of the top looked full to the brim. There was certainly something that each of us was going to like. My favourites were the chocolate opera cake and the chocolate orange macarons. Luckily I took the macarons home and had Mum's too, super bonus as they were AH-mazing.

We had a fantastic time, especially since my little nephew was there too, hanging out with us girls. He didn't have any of the food as he is only just 6 months, but he certainly enjoyed his first taste of yoghurt as he chatted his little head off.

After copious amounts of tea, and as we started to tuck into the dessert plate, the lovely waitress appeared from across the room with the four cupcakes I'd snuck in earlier all with candles alight. I made sure my sister was singing along as Mum blew out the candles, again delighted that we'd added an extra surprise.

Overall Acklam Hall, or the Brierley as the restaurant is called, couldn't do more for us. I always find booking over the phone to be super easy and its followed up with emails you can't forget your reservation. The building itself is stunning and is the perfect background for a delicious afternoon tea.