Table Talk with Grace Timothy
Grace Timothy was a freelance beauty editor, contributing to fashion bibles like Style, Vogue and Glamour, when she unexpectedly fell pregnant in 2012, and her whole world was turned upside down. As a magazine editor she knew what the life of a successful working mum was supposed to look like, but in reality was the sweep of red lippy, early morning email juggling and slinging the babe onto the tube a reality or pure pipe dream? Grace’s candid debut memoir ‘MUM FACE’ is a frank yet relatable peek into motherhood and if becoming a mum means the person you were before has gone; who exactly is left in its place?
Whilst us new mum’s are all still hungry to find out what lies ahead, one thing we are sure of is a good, strong cup of Joe is a great starting place! From Chichester to Brighton, join Grace as she reveals where in the UK she nabs marmite crumpets, snaffles bar snacks with her hubby and her daughter makes a bee-line for the best ice cream going…
1. I’d like a table for…
That perfect combination of our mates and their kids when all the kids get on and we can all enjoy a good 5-hour meal without having to chase anyone.
2. Early-birds catch the coffee at…
Luckes in Chichester, Department of Coffee in London and Flour Pot Cafe in Brighton.
3. Best brunch with kids?
I bloody love a Cote Brasserie — our local is full of the kindest people who always welcome our kid, proving you don’t need a pack of stubby crayons and a half-baked word search to win a kid over.
4. Children’s menu must-visits…
I’ve learned not to order from the kid’s menu because our kid always wants what we have, and one of us ends up stuck with a small portion of flavourless pasta. So we tend to order three meals and hope that we get to eat some of it. She’s happiest at Design Vintage in Chichester, Sparks Yard in Arundel, Rocca in London and in Brighton she loves Franco Manca.
5. Where do you grab a bite with mums en masse?
My new favourite is The Ivy in Brighton. The loos are insane. And crumpets with marmite for like, £3?!
6. Hidden gem for treating tiny ones?
There’s a cool place in Chichester called Drapers Yard — it’s literally hidden away from the high street and is a group of pop up shops and local artists/artisans. We used to go there a LOT for a babycchino from the coffee van, which we’d drink sat under a kind of lean-to — she loved it. At the moment there’s also a vegan food place. But if I ask her where we should go as a treat, she’ll always say Carluccios, because she knows they do ice cream.
7. Best piece of advice for dining out with kids?
Start early — we took our daughter our with us from the first week, so she felt comfortable in restaurants from a young age. It made dining out more of a relaxed experience. That’s not to say we didn’t reach for the iPad at times, but she’s rarely tempted to run around or chuck stuff about, I guess. And she thinks of dining out as a real treat.
8. Date night — takeaway or take me out?
We get takeaways so often now I don’t think you can class it as a date night. If we get the opportunity, it’s got to be Friday night at Richmond Arms in West Ashling — they have a pizza van and incredible bar snacks. I love the atmosphere and feeling like a teenager again.
9. My earliest food memory…
My mum and dad took me out a lot — they both worked in the theatre so there were a lot of late night suppers after a show where I’d either be asleep under the table or eating chicken cooked in garlic, which my mum used to order me wherever we went.
10. Five mums, one table — who’s joining you?
Candice Brathwaite, Celeste Barber, Lorna Hayward, Serena Williams and Natasha Bailie.
Mum Face: The memoir of a woman who gained a baby and lost her sh*t by Grace Timothy (£12.99, HarperCollins) is out now
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