Yo! Sushi - A Family Affair - Worcester -Review

In my older years I have been much more open to experimenting with different types of food, but that was not always the case, as a child I was rather fussy and I wouldn't even eat basic fruit or vegetables. Leo has always been a rather fussy eater himself, and although vegetables are still a sore subject, in the last few years he has been really impressing myself and his Dad with the diverse new foods that he is willing to try.

Granted, he may not always love what he has tasted, but the fact is he has submitted himself to trying new things. 

The other week my little family unit were invited along to the brand new Yo! Sushi in Worcester that has not long opened up it's doors for the very first time. I wasn't sure what Leo would make of the Japanese cuisine, but I knew that he would be very impressed with the Japanese style 'kaiten' conveyor belt! 

Leo was a little unsure at the idea of the food, but I told him as long as he gave some things a try, if he didn't like anything and was still hungry, then he could have a McDonald's on the way home...

I myself have frequented Yo! Sushi on previous occasions so I had an idea of what to expect, but the other half and Leo were going along for the very first time, and I don't think either of them really knew what to expect. 

When people talk about Sushi, they automatically assume that it's simply raw fish, but I can assure you that is simply not the case (if you are after raw fish look no further than Sashimi!). Yo! Sushi offers traditional Japanese Street Food along side the Sushi, and the chefs even jet out to Japan in search of new ideas to bring back to the restaurants (if you spot 'NEW' in the menu, then you are looking at a newly sourced recipe all the way from Japan!).

The new Worcester branch is the best I have visited, it's got a very modern look and has plenty of seating, the staff were welcoming and the ambience was ideal. The bar tables are all set out against the conveyor belt that has an array of freshly prepared food on coloured plates dancing around on it. 

The different coloured plates signify different price brackets:

The food is all prepared on site and because of the setup, you can actually watch the sushi and other dishes being prepared in front of you. While we visited we were lucky enough to watch the head chef Stoyan cut a rather larger piece of Tuna! 

I can tell you now that it really does take some know how and a very sharp knife.  

Stoyan was very informative and more than happy to answer our many questions about how the tuna was cut and prepared before it was laid out for the masses to enjoy. 

Leo was incredibly excited, I knew that he was going to love the idea of picking his food off the conveyor belt, and he had been telling me all day about how he was going to try some Tuna Sushi. It was really nice to see how far my little fussy eater had come, and he gave most things a go, his favourite being the safer option of the new Farikake Fries (Of which he had about 2 bowls!), and once he was finished sampling the mains he moved swiftly onto the desserts (and tried the majority of the options on the menu!).

Luke was equally as impressed and between us we ticked off quite a few of the mains on the menu, they are good to share so that couples can each get a taste for the dishes. My favourites were the Chicken Katsu Curry and the Spicy Pepper Squid.

We had a lovely young man serving us and he helped Leo pick out things that he thought he might like to try, and told Luke was his personal favourites were (because Luke loves a good recommendation when it comes to the best food to eat!).

Overall the 3 of us all had a fantastic meal and Leo had eaten so much Sushi, Streetfood and pudding that we didn't need to call into McDonald's for him on the way back. In fact Leo has been asking me everyday when we can go back and visit Yo! Sushi AGAIN! 

You can see a snippet of our visit below:

Disclaimer: We were provided a complimentary meal for this post. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest and our own.

Pests in the UK: Do You Live In a 'Danger Zone'?

While no one likes to come across a household pest, if you live in certain parts of the UK you could be more at risk of unwanted visitors than others. An incredible 14,812 cases of rat infestations were recorded in Birmingham over a period of one year, with 4,669 cases of wasps in North Lanarkshire.

The report, which was put together by the British Pest Control Association (BPCA), makes for unpleasant reading with officials warning figures have risen after councils cut free pest control services. So how do you know if you live in a danger zone?

The Midlands

According to the report published in 2015, Birmingham had the highest number of rat exterminations during 2013-2014 - more than any other UK city. The BPCA warns that if an infestation of a pest ‘isn’t dealt with quickly and professionally, it’s likely to spread with the problem being much more expensive, carrying a greater risk to public health.’

One effective way to deal with rodents (whether mice or rats) is to put down a trap. Snap traps are an inexpensive option that has been effectively handling rodent infestations for decades. These days you can also opt for electric traps, which deliver a high voltage shock to eliminate pests quickly and humanely. Ultimately, the best control method depends on the size of your infestation.

The North East

Newcastle had one of the highest numbers in the UK for pest problems. Five per cent of people living in Tyneside were recorded to have had problems with rats, along with cockroaches, wasps and other invasive pests.

The North West

Knowsley in Merseyside was among the top 20 worst places for pest infestations in the report with 3.4 per cent of people calling out exterminators.

Scotland

Recorded as the worst for ant invasions, there were 1,990 cases in Fife. Scotland has seen an explosion in the ant population over a period of four years, with a large increase in the number of call outs. The most common species of ant that invades homes is the Black Garden Ant, which is actually a very dark brown. It goes in search of sweet foodstuffs to take back to its nest to feed the rest of the colony. To prevent a problem with ants, keep food well-sealed, particularly sweet foods like honey, jam, sugar and juice drinks.

Wales

This is said to be the most rat-infested country in the UK, with among the highest number of call-outs reported from Blaenau Gwent, Rhondda-Cynon-Taff and Merthyr Tydfil.

London

In the city, 4.9 per cent of people reported pest problems with Southwark alone reporting 1,820 cases of bedbugs, 1,086 cases of cockroaches and 5,250 cases of mice.

East

You could be in one of the safer areas if you live in the East. The most pest free place was found to be Southend, Essex, with just 0.03 per cent of homeowners reporting a problem with pests.

While rats and cockroaches are usually more common in larger cities, the BPCA says that localised reasons can cause a pest problem, such as the climate. In the case of wasps, the population explosion in Scotland came after a previously wet summer which killed off a lot of the UK’s wasps. The main message is that it is important to deal quickly with an issue if you spot a pest to prevent the problem becoming a crisis. 

The Buyer’s Guide To Olive Oil

I use Olive Oil a lot in my day to day cooking, and I love that there are so many different varieties that can help you bring out unique flavourings in the dishes that you are preparing. My usual rule of thumb is to eat clean, I enjoy the food and my body in turn reaps the benefits. It's amazing how tasty vegetables can be when they are prepared with lots of different herbs, spices and Olive Oil. 

I prepare my own fresh Pesto, and I love being able to play around with the flavouring and since the Olive Oil is a vital ingredient in the ingredients list, it can have a huge impact on the over all taste satisfaction at the end.

As I use Olive Oil in many of the meals I prepare, it is a staple item in my kitchen. Before I buy olive oil online I always check sites such as Promo Vouchers to see if there are any voucher codes available.

As there are so many different varieties of Olive Oil in 2016, Jamie Oliver has put together a really helpful infographic that takes all of the guess work out of purchasing your Olive Oil for the home. 

The Buyer’s Guide To Olive Oil

Summer Holiday Bike Ride Fun With Ridgeback Kids Club & The Bicycle Society

The schools have been kicked out for summer just over a week now, and the little man in my life is asking me what fun we have planned for each and every day of the break, and my bank card is wincing in anticipation of what he may wish to do next...

This week though we had something very exciting planned, Leo and I were travelling to London to spend the day with Ridgeback Bikes at the #RidgebackKidsClub event in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. 

The Ridgeback Kids Club is something rather special, you can sign up after purchasing a new Ridgeback Kids Bike, and it is a way of picking up some great tips and tricks for your budding adventurer (always great if your little people are anything like my zoom along Leo!). Upon joining you receive a FREE goodie bag worth over £25 and that comes kitted out with a lovely reusable bag, Hi Vis Vest, Sticker sheet, Crayons and water bottle! 

For as long as you are a member you receive exclusive offers and all of the latest news, birthday treats and even invitations to exclusive events! 

Leo had been counting down the sleeps until this trip, he absolutely adores getting outside into the big wide world, and he loves nothing more than adding a bit of speed to his endeavours, and of course taking part in an adventure bike ride with Ridgeback Bikes and the Bicycle Society... How could his tummy not be somersaulting excitedly!?

So we awoke early and hit the road, quickly whisking away from the sleepy little town we call home, and before we knew it we were on the tube heading into the big smoke of the city. Every couple of minutes Leo asked me 'Are we there yet Mum, are we there yet!?', so when we met Jaime, Joshua and Jacob from The Oliver's Madhouse, Leo was happy to meet someone more of his own age, and the boys very quickly became friends.

The sun was shining and the day looked like it was set to impress, and we could not have wished for better conditions. We arrived just before 11am and were invited inside Pave Velo where there were a number of impressive pastries to enjoy and an even more impressive selection of Ridgeback bikes set up to have a look at!

Each of the children in attendance had been assigned a bike for the day, they had taken the measurements of each child ahead of time to ensure that they would be perfect for a good bike riding session on the day. Leo is currently in between sizes, and the initial bike that he was assigned was just a little bit too big for him, and this knocked his confidence slightly. The team noticed this straight away and presented him with a Silver 16" that was just right. As soon as Leo had perched on the seat and one of the guys said 'Take it slow!', Leo had zoomed away at speed to demonstrate all the while modelling a very big smile!

We were lucky enough to have instruction from Rob Reed of The Bicycle Society, and he quickly got a grasp on each of the children's levels of ability (could they ride already/were they learning still), and with this knowledge he set up different teams each with their own objectives (all on their own Ridgeback Bikes of course!). 

The Bicycle Society aim to teach children to ride a bike through fun games, and they even teach children as young as 18 months old. I was really impressed with how Rob was with all of the children and they all responded to his gentle teaching methods instantly. 

It became apparent rather quickly that Leo had a need for speed, I later discovered that Leo was treating the courses as a Mario Kart track, which was plain to see as he weaved through the other children on their bikes (I am just glad he didn't have turtle shells or banana skins!).

Leo zoomed around the track like he had always known how to ride a bike (and may have perhaps been a little bit too over confident, who needs brakes anyway!?), and you wouldn't have thought that he had just started riding the Ridgeback bike that very morning. He took a few short breaks to get some water, but then it was straight back to business.

Leo started riding without stabilisers last summer, and in true Leo style he literally just took off one day out of sheer determination to prove me wrong. He had been outside playing with a neighbors son and decided to have a go on his 2 wheeled push bike. Of course I had my reservations because we hadn't even taken the stabilisers off of his just yet, but he assured me he could do it, and then he just did. And that was that. 

I firmly believe that it was all of those years of riding his balance bike that aided his transition so quickly, and we introduced that just before Leo's Second Birthday. By the time Leo graduated this bike, he really had mastered the aspect of balance and could take corners and combine the speed just like a pro.

When the time came to make a move back home towards the Cotswolds, Leo discovered that Ridgeback Bikes had very kindly gifted the bike he was riding to him. Leo was so happy, as he had fallen in love with his speedy set of wheels, and he loved that it was a proper 'big boy' bike (it had no stickers unlike his Thomas the Tank Engine Bike that he refused to ride these days!).

So we thanked the team for an incredible day and Leo navigated the London cycle paths back to Stratford International Station, turning countless heads as he went (he must have been London's youngest cycle commuter of the day!), the sweet little glances that passing pedestrians gave him as he carefully made his way home. 

Upon getting back to the car at Uxbridge, Leo fell straight into a very deep sleep, and slept the entire way home... I can only begin to wonder why he was as tired as he was?

Leo has now informed me that I need to get a bike of my own, as family bike rides are apparently imminent, it would be rude not too though, I can't keep my little speedstar cooped away, he wants to leave me eating his dust as he zooms off ahead of me! 

We have shared our day on our YouTube Channel, you can check it out below!