EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!!
here at the rock lodge we publish our own monthly newspaper, keeping all of our wonderful customers up to date with all that is rock lodge and whitstable.
Whitstable's newest fine dining experience has really kicked it up a notch leaving it's customers in no doubt as to why it was given the name The Next Level!
The unique styling and design of this luxurious and welcoming setting is clearly a sight to behold, but what about the food? The mental thunderbolts of inspiration coming from Chef Adam's mind have produced a menu of pure intrigue and indulgence putting a creative spin on classic dishes and leaving all to wonder 'what's coming next'?
We'll begin at the end because there's one fundamental rule you need to know before starting your culinary journey through one of his menus and that is that you MUST leave room for dessert! His quirky take on classic sweets like this months deliciously twisted full size version of a Ferrero Rocher will see you weeping into your empty dinner plate if you didn't get to try it. The rich chocolate shell filled with a chocolate and hazelnut mousse and covered in chocolate and hazelnuts really will leave you saying 'Chef Adam, with this Ferrero Rocher you are really spoiling us'. Be warned though that due to the sheer quantity of genius ideas that come out of the kitchen at The Next Level, the menu changes on a monthly basis and with last months mouth-wateringly high end version of a Snickers already a distant memory we urge you not to miss this one.
This brings us to the precursor, the glorious dish that will tingle your taste buds, the dish that everyone is talking about, the locally sourced pork belly, slow braised in Crabbies Ginger Beer, served in it's golden crackling and accompanied by hand dived sea scallops... whoever said that Surf & Turf had to be prawns and steak eh?
Aside from the regular menu on offer at The Next Level it will also be opening it's doors every 3rd Wednesday of the month for an extra special evening of Fondue & Red Wine. As the nights draw darker and the temperature drops there can be nothing more appetisingly inviting than a warm gooey fondue and a glass of red served up against a perfectly styled Après Ski backdrop!
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This restaurant really has it all, a decadently ambient atmosphere, superbly intuitive service and outstanding cuisine to rival even the most high end big city venues making it the perfect place to impress, treat or celebrate that special occasion.
The Next Level Restaurant is open Thursday, Friday & Saturday 6-9pm and is also available for private events and Christmas parties.
With a background in Bar work and a passion for extreme sports, it seemed only right to encourage Paul to switch to the other side of the bar earning money as an integral part of The Rock Lodge team instead of spending it! Having met Aaron on the pub circuit of Whitstable and helping out on busy nights behind the bar, it wasn't long before he became a permanent fixture at the venue as Bar Manager where his vast experience in the industry is being put straight to work.
As a skater himself, one of Paul's greatest achievements was skateboarding 328 miles from Maidstone to Newquay (as you do!) for charity! A gruelling experience that makes even the busiest of Saturday nights behind the bar seem like a walk in the park! He has numerous contacts within the skate industry and has already encouraged some amazing collaborations between The Rock Lodge and other companies, like the FAR Academy Trust (who we'll be telling much more about in the next edition of the Alpine Times). Paul's talents don't stop there though... he's also a drummer! He hasn't yet made his way up to the stage at The Rock Lodge as of yet but watch this space and if he doesn't look too busy behind the bar at one of the upcoming Blues Jams... give him a nudge ;-)
Paul says, being part of The Rock Lodge team is like being part of a family, everyone is amazing and have been so welcoming that I feel like I've been a part of it from the very beginning'. Welcome to the team dude!
She's cheeky, she's funny, she's the girliest of girls who loves nothing more than playing princess dress up and her dollies! She's a Grandad's girl that loves welly boots and bubble baths, swimming and kinder eggs. She's obsessed with her uncle 'Lukey' and inseparable from her cousin Jesse, when she's 'taller' she wants to be a ballerina or a mermaid. She's Mummy's best friend!
On the surface, Poppy Martin is just like any other 3 three year old, but behind the scenes this tiny little warrior is fighting the hugest of battles and has touched the hearts of a community in the process. At the tender age of 15 months, she was diagnosed with the genetic condition neurofibromatosis type 1 which causes an overproduction of cells and has lead to the development of a tumour on her brain. In her short life she has endured 78 gruellingly traumatic rounds of chemotherapy and has lost the sight in one eye with regular scans showing the
the devastating growth of the tumour that now covers 14 parts of her brain making it too dangerous to operate on.
There ishowever, a glimmering ray of hope in the form of Proton Beam Therapy available in the USA for which Poppy has been deemed eligible... but they are still in need of financial support to get her the treatment she so desperately needs.
The local community and businesses of Whitstable have been incredibly supportive from generous donations of raffle prizes to some amazing fundraising events which have so far raised a huge amount of money but there's still a long way to go to reach their target of the £300,000 needed to cover the cost of this revolutionary treatment. The Rock Lodge will be hosting an extra special night in October (datetbc) to help add to the funds already raised and get them a step closer to saving little Poppy's life.
The family are in desperate need of a small miracle now to get her to the US so, please, if you are able to donate anything you can to her plea it really will make a difference... imagine if only 20% of the population of Kent gave just £1, they'd be on a flight tomorrow!
Donate now at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/poppysplea and get updates on Poppy's condition by following facebook.com/poppysplea2017.
...that the Ouija Board ended up outselling the game of Monopoly in its first full year at Salem. Over two million copies of the Ouija Board were sold! Spooky!
But where did it all begin? With the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain around 6000 years ago when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honour all saints; soon, All Saints Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a day of activities like trick-or-treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, festive gatherings, donning costumes and eating sweet treats.
Halloween, The only time of the year when it's deemed acceptable to take sweets from a stranger whilst dressed as a cheerleader covered in fake blood... and if that's not strange enough for you then here's some more of our favourite Halloween 'facts'...
-Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween
-According to tradition, if a person wears his or her clothes inside out and then walks backwards on Halloween, he or she will see a witch at midnight-
Boston, Massachusetts, holds the record for the most Jack O’Lanterns lit at once (30,128)
-Michael Myers' mask in the movie Halloween was actually the face of William Shatner
-Coming from a Scottish fortune telling game, girls often used cabbage stumps in order to predict their future husbands on the night of Halloween.-Some animal shelters won't allow the adoption of black cats around Halloween for fear they'll be sacrificed.
So, whether you're donning a William Shatner mask or wearing your clothes inside out and walking backwards there's always safety in numbers at this spooky time of the year so get yourself down to the biggest and best Halloween Fancy Dress party in town at The Rock Lodge on Saturday 27th October!
