Food News: Cambridge’s new street food van and bar/brasserie

In with the new: Cambridge cuts the ribbon on a bar and brasserie, a street food van and a 0% drinks brand. . .

The Astronomer
Billed as “an upmarket bar and brasserie serving all-day dining”, The Astronomer is set to open in Cambridge’s Eddington district this month. Located beneath the Hyatt and Locke Hotel, at 37 Eddington Avenue, it’s the eighth venue for Cambscuisine, the brand behind Madingley’s acclaimed The Three Horseshoes and city-central favourite The Cambridge Chop House.

Say the team: “The menu will be focussed and highly seasonal, using predominantly local produce. Drink offerings will include local and regional beer, cocktails and a wine list full of passion and independent growers.”
The Astronomer will host regular events, as well as serving an all-day menu. For more details and opening date updates, follow @theastronomer_cambridge

Mangiami
Have you ever tried panzerotti? A Puglian snack, it’s like a smaller calzone - and it’s a signature for new Cambridge street food company Mangiami. Taking its name from the Italian for ‘eat me’, the business, housed in a sleek matte black airstream, is run by brothers Benito, Gianfranco and Nico Giove.

Their parents moving to the UK in the late 1960s, from their hometown of Santeramo in Colle, they brought generations of family recipes with them - including the panzerotti, arancini and classic chicken Milanese.
“Having enjoyed these snacks from local shops and street vendors, nothing really compared to the homemade versions made by our parents, aunties and uncles, the recipes for which have been passed down through the generations and on to us,” explain the brothers.

With Benito already an entrepreneur and passionate cook, Nico worked in telecoms and Gianfranco in construction. But, when Gianfranco suffered a brain injury in 2021, it prompted all three brothers to take the leap and found a food business together.
With panzerotti and arancini best-sellers - the latter coming in three sizes, forming cups filled with the customer’s choice of sauce and bedded on rocket and parmesan - “we knew you were all missing out on some truly amazing dishes,” say the brothers, “and we’re proud to be bringing them to Cambridge.”
View the menu and follow the van: @mangiami_italian_street_food

The Old Bicycle Shop
Cambridge’s Old Bicycle Shop is starting the new season with an all-new menu. From pumpkin ravioli with sage butter, sauteed wild mushrooms and crispy shallot to cinnamon and orange-roasted plums with almond sabayon, vanilla ice cream and amaretti crumbs, it’s a culinary ode to autumn.

“Refocusing on sustainability and eating fantastic local produce,” diners can “expect a delicious, balanced menu with an eye on vegetarian and vegan offers with weekly specials,” say the team.

Formerly Britain's oldest cycling shop - where, rumour has it, Charles Darwin bought a bike in the 1800s - the City Pub Group bar/restaurant has been a fixture on Regent Street since 2016, known both for its themed decor (saddles and handlebars as wall art) and strong plant-based offering.
Visit oldbicycleshop.com to find out more and to book.

The Cambucha
Promising “to gratify not only your palate and senses, but also your gut”, new Cambridge kombucha company The Cambucha is fast gaining a following for its fermented drinks.
Coming in three flavours - bold and fruity original, fresh and fragrant raspberry, and zesty and invigorating ginger and lemon - they are the brainchild of husband and wife Lukas and Kasia.

“The Cambucha started from the belief that health and pleasure can come together,” explains Kasia. “As kombucha enthusiasts ourselves, with a long food industry background, we wanted to create a drink that would satisfy cravings without compromising on enjoyment.”

A cold fermented tea, which has been made and consumed for thousands of years, kombucha is famously packed with probiotics, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
Made “just a few bridges away from King’s College”, using solely time, skill, authentic ingredients and no additives, The Cambucha “isn’t merely a healthy substitute for alcohol,” adds Kasia, “it embodies a fusion of passion, flavour, and the essence of Cambridge.”
Find The Cambucha at Daily Bread in Cambridge, The Burwash Larder in Barton and at pop-up events around the city. Follow @thecambucha for more.