Why diners may prefer a Blonde Scouse...

Apr 23 2008 by Mike Chapple, Liverpool Daily Post

The Scouse House in Birkenhead and owner Anthony Zausmer with Blond Scouse _320

A NEW cafe devoted to traditional Liverpudlian dishes has opened – not in the city but over the water in Birkenhead.

The Scouse House cafe, in Oliver Lane, is devoted to serving bowls of Scouse and traditional doorstep-sized “Dockers’ Butties”.

Its chef/director Anthony Zausmer has created a new “breed” of Scouse for the connoisseur – the Liver Bird, or Blonde Scouse.

“We’ve got the traditional Scouse made from mutton, the Blind Scouse – served without meat for vegetarians – and now the Blonde Scouse which is made from chicken to cater for those people who don’t like eating red meat,” said Bebington-born Mr Zausmer, who has worked in the restaurant and bar trade for 31 years.

His decision to open what he believes is the first establishment serving our old favourites comes at a time when the business development group the Mersey Partnership has appealed to local chefs to create a more sophisticated signature dish to reflect “a new Liverpool.”

“What kind of world is it when it appears that they want to turn us all into a load of southern jessies?” said Mr Zausmer, who said that the Viking dish of lobscouse, from which Scouse is thought to have derived, would originally have been fish.

“I think they are missing the point.

“Liverpool is surely a great city largely because of its respect for tradition – values and team loyalty handed down from one generation to the next. To talk about replacing Scouse with something more modern is akin to throwing the baby out with the bath water.

“It’s not a competition for us, I’m afraid.”

Mr Zausmer, whose speciality is embellishing Scouse with leeks and a hint of mint, also serves Cub Scouse, mini bowls with hunks of fresh bread and beetroot.

One of the launch functions took place last night with an open floor poetry night, when the Scouse took centre stage.

mikechapple@dailypost.co.uk