The Sun Inn, Mill Road, Kislingbury, Northampton NN7 4BB

A beautiful sunny but cold Saturday, I was driving up north with D. Looking for a place for lunch near the motorway, armed only with a copy of CAMRA’s 2012 Edition of The Good Beer Guide, D expertly navigated us to the picturesque village of Kislingbury near Northampton (and just a few minutes from the M1.
On a tiny narrow lane we found The Sun Inn.  Looking beautifully rustic with it's thatched roof, we found it to be warm and cosy inside and without any pretensions.  Old-fashioned and friendly with a good number of real ales on the pumps and some ciders too. 

 We experienced lovely hospitality from the landlady and once we’d ordering some substantial lunch from a small menu of big pies, we settled down in one of the three seating areas (it was nice to have it to ourselves) with the paper, and relaxed.

After assembling a wide collection of condiments, and enjoying a giant cup of tea and a pint of 'Gobblers', our food arrived.  My stilton, peppered mushroom and onion pie was ultimate comfort food, and served with delicious gravy and the homemade cottage pie was also huge, and very much enjoyed by D, who felt the cabbage was also very tasty.

A lovely discovery.    We would have happily whiled away an afternoon there.  Well worth a visit should you be near Junction 16 of the M1 and very much recommended by ourselves as well as CAMRA.

The Brunswick House Café, Vauxhall

Two minutes from Vauxhall tube station is Brunswick House;  an architectural salvage shop. A quirky building, covered in old-fashioned enamel signs (including one advertising Wethereds Ale and Stout from my home town of Marlow), stone features and a huge cast iron ‘saloon bar lounge’ sign. Amongst all these eye catching features, you can easily miss the small sandwich board advertising the café inside, but that is not really an issue, as this café is gaining a reputation, having received rave reviews from the FT and  John Lanchester in The Guardian.

Being huge Guardian fans, myself and K had decided to take advantage of Brunswick House Cafe extending its opening hours to Tuesday and Wednesday evenings (it still doesn’t open on Monday nights).

The place was not very busy with just a couple of other diners in the slightly chilly main dining room. I was intrigued by the chandelier and lights hanging from the ceiling, the ‘stage’ at the back of the room, and the assortment of pictures and signs covering the walls.

I was advised that the simple daily changing menu consisted of small tapas style plates (and helpfully I was told which were the dishes served hot! An important point on such a cold evening). The cocktail list and wine list was extensive and we opted for a very drinkable French red with an unusual name. The wine was served in tumblers rather than wine glasses which was fitting for the relaxed style of the place, but there were important and impressive touches to the service, with water and (absolutely delicious sourdough) bread being bought to the table for without us even asking.

We ordered 5 dishes between the two of us, with the intention to share everything. The menu had no elaborate descriptions but it all sounded tasty.

Our choices included ‘Sprouting Broccoli and Pumpkin Romesco’ - a simple dish of crunchy greens with tasty pumpkin sauce and ‘Chestnut, sage and pear’, which was a pleasing variety of flavours and textures and not just served as simple individual ingredients.

However the real highlight was the warm ‘Cauliflower, red onion and stichelton’ (having researched in advance, I knew it was a blue cheese but unlike ‘stilton’ it is not made with pasteurised milk. It cannot therefore legally be called ‘stilton’, so instead it is called ‘Stichelton’ - the original name of Stilton village). I was expecting something like cauliflower cheese, but this was something entirely different. The marinated crunchy cauliflower was elevated to divine levels of tastiness with the piquant cheese. It was heavenly.

The two more substantial choices were bought to the table with perfect timing – the chickpeas and chorizo had warm and comforting flavours, and the chicken and mushroom pie was again, quite different to what I was expecting. The chicken seemed like it had come straight from a very well marinated roast and so each piece was rich and highly flavoured, with strong flavour from the beautifully cooked mushrooms.

It really was perfect, and we were so full that we couldn’t even manage dessert, but instead enjoyed some tea.  Served in very cute, colourful teapots, my lapsang souchong was delicious. 

The service had been fantastic and the atmosphere nicely relaxed, although it was a shame that it was not more busy in the dining room.  The ability to try such a variety of tasty dishes in unexpected surroundings had been very pleasing, and I would recommend a visit to anyone looking for somewhere which is just that little bit different, which will be sure to delight!

Cake of the day: Soho's Secret Tea Rooms

Soho's Secret Tea Rooms was an ideal place to hold a surprise vintage afternoon tea for Sofia’s super-classy, 1940s themed hen do.  Amie had expertly organised every detail, and I was thrilled as I'd been looking for a reason to visit ever since I'd heard of the place.

The 'hidden' location, gave a fantastic surprise element, as our bride to be was definitely bemused as we walked her into the Coach and Horses Pub in Soho (not a particularly salubrious location), and slipped behind the bar and up a narrow staircase to the very top of the building.

She was met with a delightful sight! We had our own private room, very prettily decorated with thoughtful vintage touches. The atmosphere was relaxed as we were made to feel welcome by a dedicated and attentive member of staff. Bubbly, sixteen varieties of tea and ample supplies of cake, scones and dainty sandwiches, made for a most memorable start to the party.

 

Thanks to Fi for the great picture above.

 

Cake of the day: Christmas Gingerbread and Delicious Victoria Sponge

I apologise for the lack of posts in recent months.  Planning my wedding has taken up far more time than I ever imagined.

However I'm certainly marrying into the right family!  Visiting D's gran this weekend, we were treated to a sumptious afternoon tea, of Christmas Gingerbread and a divinely light and delicious home-made Victoria Sponge.

I thought I'd share this with you all to make you hungry on this Wednesday morning!

The Charles Dickens, 160 Union Street, Southwark, SE1 0LH

The Charles Dickens on Union Street is an unpretentious and unassuming real ale pub in central London.  It was the ideal place for a beer and bite before going to see Dr Faustus at Shakespeare’s Globe.

Whilst super close to the Tate Modern, it was tucked away from crowds, and pleasantly quiet when we arrived.  It was a warm afternoon, so discovering the small outdoor area at the back was particularly great.

The choice and quality of the beers was very good (a lemon beer being a particular highlight for D), which is to be expected given that we’d found the pub in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide.

Being a former English Lit student, I was admittedly a bit snobby about the quality and authenticity of the Dickens’ memorabilia.   But, this was saved by the food.  With all the meat provided from nearby Smithfield, the very simple British pub food, was totally in keeping with the atmosphere and feel of the pub.

Huge pie, throughly enjoyed by D's Dad

Fantastic chips with my chicken (above), and D's steak, (below)

Very reasonably priced with large portions, and fantastic quality, everything was good.   Service wasn’t always as attentive as it could have been, but it was friendly and little touches such as condiments being bought without us needing to ask, were definite plus points.  

If I had to mention a negative it would be the lack of dessert menu. 

Even with the Dickensian theme, this didn’t appear to be a pub that pandered to tourists, avoiding the prices and pretensions of most places in Central London.  Would certainly visit again!

Moro, 34-36 Exmouth Market, London, EC1R 4QE

I love food and eating out, but have a tendency to be completely oblivious of famous and fashionable places to dine.

Moro in Exmouth Market has been hugely popular since it opened in 1997, and it continues to be, demonstrated by the fact that we had to book around two weeks in advance.  Nigel Slater is a big fan (as he writes in this review), and in 2009 it was named 'Best Restaurant' by the Observer Food Monthly.  Despite all this, until K told me she had been wanting to eat here for years, I'd not heard of Moro, which specialises in Spanish and North African cuisine, and was created by chef couple Sam(uel) and Sam(antha) Clark.

Located in Exmouth Market, there was a buzzing atmosphere in the area, even on a tuesday.  It looked like a great location, full of exciting looking places to eat with diners and drinkers enjoying the late summer evening from outdoor tables. I spotted Moro's new sister tapas bar 'Morito', before I spotted Moro proper.

Spotting K was more difficult, given how busy the restaurant was (but luckily she found me).  Tables were packed in close together, however, this didn't seem to matter, given the buzzy vibrancy of the place.  The decor gave the place an exotic air, and the menu was a single page, changing on a weekly basis. 

I can see why Nigel Slater gave such high praise to the bread.  It was like nothing I'd ever tasted before, with a tangy (almost lemony) sourdough taste, and a dense, heavy texture.  It was utterly divine and simple all at once, and perfect with olive oil.

Everything on the menu looked delicious, but the prices were on the high side, so we decided to share a starter of Morrocan bread salad with argon oil, grilled peppers, olives and tomatoes.  It was a light, summery dish with heavily flavoured with the punchiness of coriander, red onion and harissa.  The bread element of the salad took the form of uber-crunchy croutons, and there was even the odd pomegranate seed.

Our appetites whet, expectations were high for the main course.  Given how busy it was in the restaurant, we knew there would be a bit of a wait.  I sipped a fiery and refreshing Fever Tree ginger beer.  (I'm a huge fan of ginger beer, and this one definitely met my approval).

Our mains arrived, looking even more appetising than we could have imagined.  Portion sizes were good, and I loved how each plate was full of exciting looking accompaniments to the perfectly cooked meat.  The dishes, even though they were very well presented, looked more like home-cooked cuisine, rather than the cheffy, overwrought, small portions you expect at trendy restaurants. 

I was delighted with my charcoal grilled lamb, with caramelised marrow, lemon, lentil pilav and yoghurt.  The warmth of the flavours and heartiness of the dish, again reminded me of home-cooking.  The lamb was juicy and tender.  The marrow melting and perfect.  The lentil rice was delicious, particularly with the thick and tangy yoghurt.  Everything tasted perfect.

K's dish, was also fantastic;  wood roasted pork with chanterelle and oyster mushrooms 'a la plancha', white beans and alioli.  Again, there was a slight heat to the flavours, and the variety of the elements and textures that made up the meal, (from juicy mushrooms to crunchy crackling) worked perfectly together. 

We ate so well, that sadly there was no room for dessert.  Instead we ended the meal with fresh mint tea, served from a glass teapot.  The mint leaf flavour was more delicate and refreshing than the stronger flavour of peppermint tea, and ended the meal fantastically.

On a final note, we loved the toilets.  The presence of l'Occitane toileteries and a huge map, (two of K's most favourite things), was a nice touch. 

I was so enamoured with Moro that as soon as I got home, I ordered one of their books.  I can't wait to visit again, and would implore you to visit as soon as you can, because this is a place that is even better than the hype.

Albannach, 66 Trafalgar Square, London. WC2N 5DS

Pre-theatre dining can be a tense, rushed affair.  Set menus are limited.  Service is too fast to be pleasant.  Atmosphere can be lacking. Albannach on Trafalgar Square was none of those things.  It proved to be an oasis of calm, in the Bank Holiday Monday early-evening slot before mine and H’s theatre trip. 

It's a quirky place.  A highly contemporary style, isn't one that you would normally associate with a Scottish bar/restaurant, which boasts a huge collection of single malt whiskies.  The huge white-sparkly-deer-antler décor, was much to H’s liking,  and it was happy hour, so rather than whisky, we happily indulged in champagne cocktails at a mere £4 each. Service was courteous and professional, and not at all rushed.  Prices are high (expected given the location), but we were dining on a 50% off offer, which made everything very reasonable, particularly as we could choose anything from the a la carte menu, and weren’t limited to a pre-theatre set menu.

Whilst the food wasn’t ground-breaking (and sadly, I wasn’t hungry enough to order the haggis – which is a shame- I love haggis), it was certainly very prettily presented,  and warrants a few pictures. Enjoy! 

 Seared Cornish Scallops, with butternut squash, pea puree and crispy bacon

Scottish girolle open ravioli with sage butter and parmesan

The Hinds Head, High Street, Bray, Berkshire SL6 2AB

It's exciting to go somewhere that you recognise from the telly!  It was a special occasion, and neither of us had ever been to Heston Blumenthal's Hinds Head in Bray, despite living so nearby.  Billed as his more accessible restaurant (ie, we only had two book around 10 days in advance, and hopefully the experience wasn't going to bankrupt us),  my parents and sister had already visited, and had given it rave reviews (my sister particularly raving about triple fried chips and the best pie she had ever tasted). 

Rated as Michelin Pub of the Year in 2011, I wasn't sure whether it would be more like a pub, or a restaurant.   Our booking was at 8.45pm on a Friday, but it was very busy as we arrived, and it certainly did seem like any busy pub at upon first appearances.  We were a little early, but we were immediately shown to our table in the much more tranquil restaurant upstairs.  A cosy, low-timbered room, with a warm atmosphere, the majority of the tables were full, but we'd been given an optimal large table in the corner of the room, so we had plenty of space.  It reminded me of a brilliant place I'd eaten at in Germany, in a watermill. 

Everything exuded quality and attention to detail, from the service, to the super-light, shapely water glasses (lovely, the waitress agreed, but a nightmare to clean).    The dinner menu looked great but eye-wateringly pricey (steak and chips for £26 - although nothing compared to The Fat Duck's offerings at £180 per head), but the three course set menu, with two options for each course was bargainous in comparison, at just £27.50 each.

Naturally, we took great pleasure in ordering "everything from the set menu," as it all looked appealing, and we intended to each try a bit of everything.  Having heard so much about the triple-friend chips, we ordered one of those too. 

The service was spot on: very friendly and incredibly professional.  (Although perhaps re-folding my napkin when I was away from the table was a bit too much!)  We admitted that our plan was to share, and we were immediately bought enough cutlery to be able to share each of the six dishes we'd ordered between us. We were assured that "anything is possible at The Hinds Head" and it certainly seemed that was true.

Although there was no mention of beer on the drinks menu, when we passed the downstairs bar, D had spotted locally brewed (in my home town of Marlow) Rebellion's Smuggler, which was in very good condition.  I went for pink and fizzy Rose de'Salici Brut Col de'Salici  - a delightful fruity prosecco.

There was bread to nibble on, but it wasn't long before the starters arrived.  These were truly excellent.  The Pea and Ham Soup was the ultimate comfort food.  Very green (and served in something was was not dissimilar to to a mini-cauldron), it was full of very fresh whole peas, and delicious chunks of ham.  The flavour, texture and quality of ingredients were astounding. 

It was so good, I wasn't very keen to share it, but I'm glad I did, as I got to sample the other starter - the Tea-Smoked Salmon with Soda Bread, which was exquisite.  D described it as the best smoked salmon he'd ever tasted, and I could see why.  It had a complex, delicate flavour and almost melt-in-the-mouth consistency.  It was quite brilliant.  (We also very much liked how the wedge of lemon was ingeniously covered in a little 'jacket' to catch the pips as you squeezed it). 

With truly top-notch starters, the bar had been set very high.  When mains arrived, we were perhaps a little concerned that pie looked a little... petite.  The macaroni dish looked impressive - not at all cheesy, but beautifully gratinated with tiny pasta, so that it almost looked like rice, with a poached egg delicately balanced on top.

The fears of the pie being too small were completely unfounded, given the richness of the dish.  Lovely pastry packed with the chicken and ham - there was very little sauce, just really good quality ingredients.  The macaroni was in a different universe to the tinned macaroni cheese of my childhood (which holds a special place in my heart as comfort food).  The tiny pasta shapes, were bound with such flavoursome wild mushrooms, that they almost tasted fruity.  The dish sung with flavour, but was very rich, so again, I was glad we were sharing, as a full portion would have been difficult to eat single-handedly. 

The triple fried chips were chunky, salty and very very crunchy.

Utterly stuffed, we asked for a little break before dessert time.  We enjoyed the ambience and relaxed feel of the restaurant, and marvelled at how close it was to Maidenhead Rail station.  We commented on how the toilets were the second best D had ever seen (he said they lost a point for not having real fluffy handtowels), but we both agreed the cool 50s style made for very nice bathrooms.

In preparation for dessert, we were handed this introductory note for the 'Quaking Pudding':

I still wasn't entirely sure whether a 17th Century pudding was going to be tasty, but I knew there was always going to be the fallback option of the blackberry fool (and in normal circumstances, I was too full for dessert anyway).

The desserts then made their grand entrance.  The pudding was as promised 'quaking' and wobbling away, as if it had a life of it's own (whilst the blackberry fool looked more conventional), but had the unexpected added bonus of pistachios. 

Forgetting how full I was, I dug into the Quaking Pudding, and was almost taken aback by how familiar the taste was.  The warm flavours of cardamom, cinammon, a hint of ginger, in a milky base, meant it tasted exactly like 'chai' (indian tea, just like my mum makes).  It was quite disorientating to taste something that was so reminiscent of home in such a restaurant, but it was absolutely delicious.  Ingeniously, it was served with what looked like cucumber, but was actually delicate slivers of sweet and tangy sugared apple. 

The blackberry fool was very creamy, but well punctuated by the blackberries, pistachios, meringue pieces and a hint of aniseed - delightful.

We'd come to the end of our food extravaganza.  Expectations had been high but the food, service and atmosphere were absolutely perfect, and I couldn't recommend The Hinds Head highly enough.   

Cake of the day: Cel's Chocolate and Banana Cake of Joy

 After cooking us a Sri Lankan banquet, Cel told us there was no dessert..."apart from some cake", lowering expectations with the tone of her voice.

But this wasn't any old cake.  Cel makes amazing cake, and this huge tray bake was warm, gooey with chocolate and moist with chunks of banana.  Rich, comforting and delicious, it was a proper pud.  As full as we were, we all found space for a generous helping.  It was wonderful!

Canteen, Royal Festival Hall, Belvedere Rd, London SE1 8XX

I love Canteen - I love how it avoids being pretentious or over-priced, even after winning numerous awards, and even  when all four of it's restaurants are located in the most central London locations.  But it is of course, this simplicity that is central to Canteen's ethos, as well as an emphasis on British, seasonal good quality ingredients.

This was my second visit to the Canteen at the Southbank centre location.  Sitting outdoors, surrounded by all the appealing aromas and hustle and bustle of the weekly food market, made for a fantastic atmosphere, even though it was a strange time to eat (5pm on a Sunday).  This isn't a problem at Canteen, who advocate "casual all day dining".  My previous visit had been just for tea and cake, which wasn't a problem at all to the friendly and efficient staff.

D was delighted by the real ale selection, particularly due to the appearance of several dark beers.  His choice of  'Moorhouse's Black Cat' -  is award winning, and impressive as it's one he has only ever previously seen at beer festivals.  He very much enjoyed it's chocolately, malty taste, whilst I was more than happy with my restorative pot of Teapigs Earl Grey.

The menu consists largely of various daily specials.  There is a daily soup, pie, roast and 'day boat fish', as well as all day breakfast/brunch dishes, traditionally British mains and puddings.  Sensibly, children are offered half portions at half price.  Fantastically, there is a separate 'cakes' section, on the menu.

D went for the roast of the day, which was beef, and he felt the quality was excellent.  He liked how it was presented in a tower with roast potatoes, carrots, cabbage, gravy and the largest yorkshire pud I have ever seen.  (It's non-perfect shape was pleasing).  The beef was very tender and each of the components tasty and well cooked.  There was only one thing D would change...he remarked that "most people would probably want less cabbage, and young men with hearty appetites (like me) would want one more potato."  Specific feedback indeed!

Mine was a posh chicken and chips (but not being very posh, I ate it with my hands.  The best way to enjoy food).  They roast a free-range chicken at lunch and dinnertime, and serve it first come first served, with garlic mayo and super crispy chips.  It was heaven on a plate.  Perfectly cooked, crispy skin, generous in portion size.  Wonderful!

Very sadly, I found myself without a camera, or room for dessert.  But not to worry, here's a picture of the incredible chocolate and beetroot cake, sampled upon my last visit with K.  The cake was almost velvety in nature, and very soft and moist as a result of the beetroot.  It's still on the menu.  You should go and try it.

Sorbitum Ices at The Real Food Market, The Southbank Centre

Sorbitum Ices  is such a small operation, I can't even find a website for it.  Exhibiting from a retro caravan at the Real Food Market at The Southbank Centre, their board, advertising 'Dark Chocolate Sorbet' immediately grabbed my attention.

I've become a bit of a sorbet connoisseur of late, having taken up a dairy-free diet.  Fruity sorbet is great, as is boozy sorbet, but chocolate?  I'd never seen such a thing before!  So how could I resist?

A small variety of exciting flavours (some ice-cream), were on offer, all home made by the seller.  Made with 70% dark chocolate, the sorbet had the consistency of ice-cream, and tasted darkly delicious.  Dairy-free but with a creamy texture and flavour.  It was entirely wonderful!  £2 for a generous scoop, it was the highlight of the entire market for me.

So, whilst I can't direct you to a website, or even a photo, you too can sample this yumminess, as the Real Food Market  is currently running weekly, from Friday to Sunday outside the Southbank Centre!  Go find the Sorbitum caravan of joy!

Foodies Festival, Battersea Park, 29 July 2011

Many thanks to Kathleen for providing all of the photographs

2011 had taken me to numerous beer festivals, but Foodies Festival was the first gastronomic festival experience of the year. The weather could not have been better in lovely Battersea Park - perfect for some Pimms, which we sipped as we gained our bearings.

Smaller than the ubiquitous Taste festivals (which I do enjoy, but which can end up very pricey, especially with their festival ‘currency’ feature), the atmosphere at Foodies was relaxed, and more focused on small producers, rather than big name restaurants. We’d got bargainous tickets through a discount website, so we were open-minded without high expectations.


We snuck into the back of one of the demonstration tents, (and even got a seat), and felt like we were watching a live version of Saturday Kitchen! We learned a handy hint for accessing whether meat was cooked – by sticking a metal skewer into the meat for 10 seconds, and then placing that skewer on your lips to feel if it was hot. A bit risky for my liking, but as the chef pronounced, “if you overcook meat, you deserve burned lips!”


Nibbling on a variety of free food samples (some yummy chilli jams, slivers of scotch eggs, sweets), we found places we wanted to try for lunch. On the way, we also sampled some exciting beverages – the highlight being St Germain  – wonderful elderflower liqueur served with white wine. Classy and beautiful!


K settled on Nigerian food, being unusual enough for her not to encounter in everyday life. She opted for very red jollof rice with beef and plaintain. She loved it – the rice was very moist and tomatoey and the whole dish was full of flavour.

My lunch choice was paella – not with the usual ingredients, but instead with apple and pork! My £5 bought me a huge portion, which I couldn’t even finish of the best paella I’ve ever tasted. There were wonderful deep flavours, from the sweetness of the apple to the savouriness of the rice which was also packed with aubergines and peas as well as the pork. A perfect mix of textures and bold flavours made this wonderful.

The heat was increasing, so dessert needed to be cold. We headed to Yee Kwan’s ice-cream stall, and tried a sample of flavours before settling on our favourites. K had cardamom ice-cream which was divinely different to any kind of ice-cream she’d ever had. My mojito sorbet was perfect for the heat of the day, tangy and fruity in an understated way. We found a shady spot under a tree, and felt all was good with the world.

After all the eating, we needed a rest. As ever, when I am in need of fortification I find myself drawn to tea. Tregothnan  didn’t just offer any old tea though – far more excitingly, they allowed you to make your own blend of tea! You could mix traditional black teas, earl grey, manuka, lemon verbena, peppermint, nettle and chamomile – most of which I did mix, with slightly over-potent results. K was far more restrained, and her blend of nettle and peppermint was a delightfully refreshing affair.

 After a cuppa, it was time for some education. We snuck into a demonstration tent to watch a wonderful demonstration of how to make lavender and vanilla infused chocolate truffles by Fiona Sciolti, Artisan Chocolatier. She demonstrated mixing double cream and honey, bringing to the boil, and then infusing overnight with lavender and a vanilla pod. Then, straining through some muslin (or a clean jay cloth), she added melted dark chocolate, along with some soft butter. Once cooled, the mixture was piped or scraped into truffles with a spoon, and then rolled in a mixture of cocoa and icing sugar. I was inspired, but perhaps more tempted to just buy some that she prepared earlier.

All that chocolate and made us hungry again, and we tucked into a final treat from The Dessert Deli, a local Battersea purveyor of delights, created by Laura Amos. All the products were gorgeously presented. I went for a shot of Belgian chocolate mousse with crunchy home made honeycomb topping, which was wonderfully dark and creamy, whilst K went for a summer berry tartlet, which was also highly recommended.

All in all – a wonderful discovery of a food festival – we left utterly stuffed and very happy!

Brunch at The Lounge, North Road, Bedminster, Bristol

The Lounge, has become a regular feature for slightly-hungover sunday brunches during my visits to Bristol, (particularly because it seems to be the only place in Bedminster which meets R's requirement of serving hash browns with their cooked breakfasts).  This 'Lounge' is the original, more have sprung up since 2002, has a very chilled-out independent feel to it. 

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all good here, so it is always packed.  Strangely though, it was uncharacteristally quiet on a late sunday morning, making service attentive and speedy.

Orange juice is freshly squeezed and delicious.  Breakfast options consist of a full english option, a veggie version, a healty museli option, an eggs benedict version and perhaps most intriguingly, something called 'an egg and bacon stack' - eggy bread served with bacon and...maple syrup! 

How could I resist?

Cake of the Day: Joanna's Casino Cake

We all know that Joanna's talents in the kitchen are impressive and far-ranging, given her previous life as a chef.

However, by all accounts, Jo completed excelled herself with this amazing birthday cake for Rachael, perfectly themed to match our murder mystery evening.

The attention to detail was astounding - edible handmade dice, not-so-edible shiny coins and of course the champagne candle.

Tastewise, the cake was fantastic.  Squidgy and chocolatey without being overly heavy, it was moist and delicious.

Should you be lucky enough to live in the Bristol area, and desire an extra-special cake for a special occasion, Joanna may well be willing to create one for you at a very reasonable price.  Leave a comment through the blog!

Cake of the Day, The Butterleigh Inn's Butterleigh Brownie

The highlight of my brief trip to Devon was this warm and deeply chocolately brownie at The Butterleigh Inn in the delightful village of Butterleigh (near Cullompton).  It had a spongy consistency, rather than feeling heavy and dense, and served with clotted cream it was heavenly. 

I had it instead of lunch!