Not Just Any Takeaway, This Is A Harrow Takeaway
The Blackbird at Bagnor
Oh yes oh yes oh yes. I am back!!! It has been months and my blog has suffered. Times have been rough for the entire nation/world with Covid and all that it entails. I am a member of a few chefs forums and what I read could make most people weep. The industry is buggered, […]
Donnington Grove Beau
This is the sort of place you want to bring people who are new to Great Britain to. The drive to the hotel is magnificent, even in the dark. You drive down a long windy road, over a bridge which looks like the sort of place you would find trolls and up to the impressive […]
The Bull in Stratford Dingley another feather in Ritchies cap
As you know my lovely reader, I have been a great fan of Ritchie Sanderson for a long time. He is someone I admire because he works hard at a job that can be extremely difficult and demanding and there can often be casualties along the way. What I admire about Ritchie is his passion, […]
Hispi, inspiring set up and cuisine
I have been aware of this group for a while. As I run a charity the idea of crowd funding excites me more than it probably should and the fact that Gary Usher has been so successful so many times is a great testament of the quality of his food. I didn’t think I […]
Il Buon Gusto di Napoli – another nugget of loveliness in Newbury
How lucky are we in Newbury to have two great Italian restaurants. Both family run and both with my usual warning of ‘use it or lose it’ (this doesn’t only apply to restaurants apparently 🙂 ) For quite a while this restaurant seemed to be nearly open and I wasn’t quite sure what was going […]
Henry and Joes’s have shown me I need a whip and fast
As always I have to start this post with a little rant about use it or lose it. However as I couldn’t actually get into Henry and Joe’s, Cheap Street, Newbury, for 3 weeks unless I went for lunch it would seem that this advice is being taken. Darn. Am I an idiot for […]
Soyami – I love Newbury SO much
One of the many things I love about Newbury, along with giant puppet animals in the Market Square, the delightful river and canal, Victoria Park, the mad Crafty Craft day are the local restaurants. We are so lucky to have a choice of great pubs like The Newbury, fine dining at Henry and Joes (have […]
Henry and Joes – stand out food and adorable staff
Newbury has some great places to eat and they need local support or we will lose them. The Newbury Pub, Mio Fiore and any other privately owned establishments should be given our custom so that they stay and grow. Home made bread and butter, totally delicious I was told this dish was […]
The Eastbury Plough – great food in a great setting – what we are good at
I love these wonderful country pubs, the Plough is opposite a village pond with ducks, picturesque and you would think a huge pull to anyone wanting to experience a bit of English country life. It has a lovely log fire for the winter months and a good seating area for the summer so perfect all […]
Noble House, Portsmouth, makes the good into excellent
Anne and I ( you may recognise her from such posts as Thames Lido and others ) went down to Portsmouth to see Gerald van Courtland Vernon Jackson, the only Mayor of Newbury who needed two lines on his mayoral plaque in Newbury Town Hall. I was fortunate enough to be his Mayoress which was […]
Newbury is getting better and better, thanks Henry and Joes
We are so lucky in Newbury, we have the Greenham Trust, The Corn Exchange, Ace Space, so many things to do and so many good places to eat like the Bladebone and the Newbury as well as Arigato, The Castle and now – tadah! – Henry and Joes. I first bumped into this dynamic duo […]
How perfect, exercise and feed in one place – Reading Lido
Ooh what is this? Not the usual first thing you see as you walk through the door of a great restaurant but The Reading Lido has more than delicious food available. No this didnt have a tailors but water, a fantastic open air swimming pool (yes that is indeed a Lido) surrounded by a kitchen, […]
Guess where I was, trick question, The BRAND NEW Castle!
If you saw the featured image you may have thought that I was at the Red House but I wasn’t, I was at the opening of the pub The Castle in Donnington which has just been taken over by the people who own and run The Red House in Marsh Benham. Thank goodness as at […]
At last – a great Lebanese in Newbury
One of my favourite food styles is Arabic type, lamb, bread, rice, salad, lots of things to dip the bread in. Before I got divorced this year I used to go to Thailand every year and as soon as I got off the plane in Koh Samui and would start my lamb lust. What is […]
Competition – Best Christmas Party venue (food) in West Berkshire
Having been to The Red House in Marsh Benham I realised that they had a great Christmas menu. Sadly I don’t really like turkey or Brussels sprouts and they had a turkey stuffed with sausage meat and covered in bacon. Also I will take one for the team if I have to! You cant say […]
Arigato Newbury-Japanese charm
I have been meaning to visit Arigato since it opened but I irritatingly and inconveniently broke my wrist. Luckily my incredibly patient and helpful DIL (daughter in law) dropped me off there on Wednesday for me to try the food before I interviewed either the incredibly charming Adrian or George, the chef which I will […]
Orange at The Sir Roger Titchborne ooh
My dear readers, as you know I dont travel hugely but love any chance to blog somewhere new. Myself, Ed and the bots and Becky ended up at the Sir Roger Titchborne http://www.thetichborne.co.uk/ in Billinghurst. We wanted to see a great band, Orange, that I have followed for many years. One of it’s song contains […]
The saddest goodbye but BUSness will return
The loveliest of chaps, James and Sam Mansfield, have held their last dinner at 16 Bartholomew Street but thank godness it isnt the last we will see of them as they are taking a double decker bus which you can hire for the best food ever. Best bread ever with the best butter to […]
West Berks Mencap and The Dew Pond, what a relationship
West Berkshire Mencap has had a long standing relationship with The Dew Pond for several reasons, not least that we only deal with people who provide the best food. This food was, as always, totally super and the place was full. Basically twice a year WBM take over the restaurant, one menu is served […]