Jazz Sessions
COVID 19 UPDATE - 12/4/21
Our Jazz programme will resume in June, with the dates to be confirmed shortly. All events will be ticketed and we will allocate seats to existing ticket holders first…
During the COVID19 lockdown, Stray’s house band P.R.S. put some tunes together, recorded in their respective homes, edited, mixed and uploaded for your enjoyment. Then they went on to recording ‘live’ performances from the shops. Now we’re getting ready to start the Friday Sessions from late September, but until then, we hope you enjoy these snippets!
Mat, Steve and Si
Friday Night Jazz at Stray’s is a laid back but full-on jazz event. Doors open at 7:00pm, with music from 8:00pm. Tickets are £8 each in advance only.
Our Friday Night Menu is available from 7:00pm, plus we have a nice range of bottled wines, beers, Prosecco, soft drinks and our new range alcohol-free beers, ales and ciders from Drynks Unlimited. And of course, not forgetting our namesake, great coffee!
Tickets are sold via this website or you can buy from the relevant shop. Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis and we allocate your booking to a table to ensure our social distancing is maintained. We don’t send out tickets, so we recommend adding the date to your calendar once you’ve booked!
Covid Secure Measures
- The gig is split into two 45 minute sets, starting at 8:00pm and the second set around 9:15pm. The music will be finished by around 10:00-10:15pm. We distanc each table betwen 1-2m apart. Where this is not possible, or where there is greater footfall, we position tall, glazed safety screens.
- We request that, until restrictions are fully lifted, you wear a face mask when moving around the building.
- Taxis can usually pick up from outside the shops, but please check in advance. If you require a taxi booking for your ride home, please let our staff know during the break and they can arrange this for you.
- We only sell a limited number of tickets. Once we are full, we do not sell more tickets. Due to the limited numbers and social distancing issues, we are unable to refund tickets.
- We only accept card/contactless payments
The Friday Jazz Sessions at Stray’s are generously sponsored by PrimePrint, Newark.
Now don’t mistake us for one of those pretentious jazz venues – we want you to enjoy your night!
However, we do ask you to respect other members of the audience and keep your voice levels lower during the performances.
And we’re not allowed to promote dancing in the aisles, but we can’t stop you either!
Friday Night Jazz Menu
Made to Order Salads…
House Salad | – £7.95
with cos & iceberg lettuce, tomato, cucumber, chicken, bacon, croutons, parmesan and honey & mustard dressing
Chicken Caesar Salad | – £7.50
with cos & iceberg lettuce, chicken, Caesar dressing (contains anchovies), shaved parmesan & croutons
Smoked Salmon & Prawn Salad | – £7.95
with cos & iceberg lettuce, tomato, cucumber, lemon, sweetcorn, cress and our own lemon & dill mayo
House Specials…
Stray’s Burger | – £8.95
a fresh beef & pork mince burger made on-site, served on a soft bun with alioli, cheese and caramelised red onions. Served with our twice-fried chunky chips, homemade coleslaw & side salad
Add bacon or Stilton for an extra £1 each
Chicken Burger | – £8.50
Fried chicken tenders in breadcrumbs, on a soft white roll with coriander mayo, cos lettuce and sliced tomato. Served with homemade coleslaw, twice fried chunky chips and fresh mixed salad
Vegan Burger | – £8.95
A home-made spiced falafel patty, with vegan mayo, sliced tomato and a lettuce and tomato & coriander salsa, in a brioche bun. Served with sweet potato fries and fresh mixed salad.
Scampi | – £7.95
Breaded whole-tail scampi with twice-fried chunky chips, side salad and homemade tartar sauce
Nibbles (not available with alcohol)
Tatties with dips | – £2.95
choose from twice-fried chunky chips, sweet potato fries or jacket wedges with one of our home-made dips of either alioli, basil mayo or coriander mayo
Olives & Bread | – £2.95
Mixed, marinated olives, with home-made, toasted garlic bread
From the Servery…
Mum’s Cakes | £various
Check our chiller to see what’s available…
Bottled Beers
Estrella Damm, San Miguel or Peroni – £3.50 (330ml)
Doom Bar – £5 (500ml)
Gins // single – £5 | double – £7.75
Bathtub |
Made using the traditional method of cold compounding, Bathtub is a bold yet perfumed gin. Amongst other it is infused with juniper, coriander, orange peel.
Paired with Fever-Tree Natural Light Tonic Garnished with orange peel.
Hendricks |
An innovative, smooth gin made with cucumbers & rose petals, it has a refreshing floral taste.
Paired with Fever-Tree Elderflower Tonic. Garnished with a slice of cucumber.
Chase GB (Gluten free) |
Crafted from distilling Chase potato vodka with 12 botanicals. Notes of zesty citrus are followed by juniper, dark chocolate and rich spices – a gin with great balance.
Paired with Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Garnished with a slice of ginger.
Tanquery Sevilla Orange Gin |
Sweet and zesty orange bursts with a dry piney, juniper finish and hints of pink grapefruit. Just beautiful!
Paired with Fever-Tree Natural Light Tonic. Garnished with a slice of grapefruit or orange wheel.
Whitley Neill Parma Violet Gin |
Luxurious handcrafted gin of exceptional quality, with bright vibrant flavours of juniper followed by a herbaceous floral notes from the violetness.
Paired with Fever-Tree Natural Light Tonic. Garnished with a wedge of lime.
Prosecco
Tosti – 20cl – £7 |
A well balanced and refreshing single-serve Prosecco with Almond notes.
Via Vai – 75cl – £20 |
A lively, crisp, sparkling wine with a delicate lemon character and dry, aromatic finish.
Coffees, Teas and Soft Drinks | £various
Cappuccino, Latte, Mocha, Americano, Mellow Mat (Flat White) & Espresso, all available in either decaf or of course, our house blend.
Our wines have been tasted and selected by our staff! They’re served either by the glass (175ml | 250ml) or by the bottle.
Whites…
Sospiro Bianco – £4.25 | £5.75 | £16
Intense white with fruit flavours, floral tones with a hint of gooseberry.
Fern Bird Sauvignon Blanc – £4.75 | £6.50 | £19
Intensely floral with a ripe green fruit character. Pleasingly dry and crisp.
Citrus Tree Chardonnay – £4.50 | £5.85 | £17
Refreshing and crisp, packed with grapefruit, lime & melon flavours.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Riesling – £5.25 | £7.50 | £22
Crisp green apple and lime flavours and an aroma full of honeyed fruit.
Reds…
Sospiro Rosso – £4.25 | £5.75 | £16
Fresh and well-balanced, with flavours of blackcurrant and dark berries on the palate. Aromas of violets and roses display strongly on the nose.
Longue Roche Merlot – £4.75 | £5.85 | £17
Soft and elegant with ripe damson fruit character and a subtle tannin.
Trapiche Melodias Winemaker Selection Malbec – £5.25 | £7.50 | £22
A juicy, medium-bodied wine with notes of ripe plums, black cherries and sweet spice.
Ramon Bilbao Rioja Crianza – £24 bottle
A youthful, ruby-red wine with hints of blackcurrants and blackberry yoghurt. Spicy nuances of cumin, vanilla and cinnamon emerging on the palate.
Chateau Ste. Michelle Columbia Valley Syrah – £5.25 | £7.50 | £22
An inviting velvety texture, brimming with flavours of red fruit and crushed dark berries.
Rosé…
Anciens Temps Rose – £4.25 | £5.75 | £16
Hints of green apples, with crisp fruit on the palate.
Desert Rose White Zinfandel – £17 bottle
Fruity on the nose, with intense strawberry and citrus notes. Light and refreshing.
Various Soft Drinks including:
J20, Belvoir Pressé, Frobishers Orange/BumbleBerry, Fentimans Botanicals | – £2.50
Coke/Diet Coke | – £1.80
P.R.S. is Simon Potts (drums), Steve Rodda (guitar) and Stray’s own Mat Short (bass). Mat & Steve originally played on Sundays at the Newark store as part of a guitar trio. Mat met Si as part of playing with the superb Groove Merchants, led by our good friend departed, guitarist Chris Green.
Si Potts joined Mat & Steve for a date back in 2017 and the three of them haven’t looked back!
P.R.S. gig regularly at Stray’s, supporting the headline acts at each venue, but you can see them as a trio at various venues across the Midlands, including regular slots at The Pelican in Nottingham, The Bees Knees in Laneham and with Rick Woolgar at the Mason’s Arms in Louth, to name a few.