At last I am allowed to talk about the new menu. It was with great excitement that I went along to the White Hart last week, happy that I was going to be able to input into the tasting (and input into my stomach). I honestly think that the White Hart is extremely lucky to […]
Category: Pubs
White Hart, Hamstead Marshall, September quiz
Oh yes, West Berkshire Mencap won again, next time it is the turn of the Bubble mums and the specialist subject is Peppa Pig. I will show some photos from the quiz but have been sworn to silence about the new menu which is fantastic (the menu, not keeping quiet). The sharing board gets better […]
Bull Inn Windlesham June 13
Smoked salmon with lemon and capers Prawn cocktail The most delicious garlicky prawns ever Crispy whitebait with tartare sauce British rib eye steak with port and stilton sauce and brandy, plentiful and well cooked Surf and turf, rib eye and four cirspy jumbo scampi British fillet steak with vegetables and peppercorn and brandy sauce  […]
White Hart Hamstead Marshall August 2013, Tasty quiz
The Newbury June 2013
This was an interesting dish, the cornichons and red onion jam were a lovely addition to what was quite a chunky rillette. One of the wonderful things about The Newbury is that they make their own bread which is wonderful. It is great to have a good quality dining place in the middle of Newbury […]
Halfway Inn, near Hungerford and Newbury, indeed Halfway!
This is a stunning pub inside, something you wouldnt guess as you drive into the car park as there is a lot of building work going on putting down decking to go with the marquee. James, the chef/owner is putting in a lot of outdoor equipment which will make outdoors eating fantastic. In fact as […]
The Black Boy, Shinfield
Yesterday was a good day up to a point. At the weekend I went to Gerald Vernon Jacksons partnership ceremony which was fantastic in all ways. The day went beautifully, happiness flooded the gorgeous surroundings and strangers became friends. I wasn’t drinking (yes, yes I know) even though the champagne and canapés were flowing. Speeches […]
Bladebone June 2013, perfect sharer (unless you are me in which case a perfect non sharer) also the case for canapes
This is a really delicious sharer (non) for so many reasons. Look at the thick slice of ham, it tasted of ham not water, it was full of flavour and porkiness, as was the ham hock terrine, that very big and fat slice on the right which was supreme. New to the table was the […]
A quickie on the Halfway Bistro A4
This is a quickie post as I am doing a full interview with the Halfway Bistro in a couple of weeks. You can find this lovely pub on the A4 between Newbury and Hungerford and it is a great place to eat. The restaurant is nicely decorated with a roaring log fire in the winter […]
Rowbarge Woolhampton June2013
I went to interview at the Rowbarge recently but unfortunately was held up my dining partner so just ate instead. Great food, an interesting starter of smoked salmon layered with potato and a great caper salad. Rachel had an impressively chorizo laden bruschetta topped with houmous which she enjoyed enormously. This braised lamb looked amazing, […]
Royal Oak – Yattendon
I haven’t been to the Royal Oak in years except for one bizarre incident a couple of years ago where I turned up to find everyone in mediaeval costume (!?). However I will be returning, the food was lovely I had the mushrooms (from Marlborough) in puff pastry, crisp and very moreish, as a starter. […]
The Spring Inn Sulhampstead
This was a very good seafood linguine full of salmon, mussels and calamari, served with chilli butter and basil and a mountain of rocket. I chose this because it isn’t something I would normally have so I was really happy that it was so good. I love fat juicy mussels which tasted excellent, the calamari […]
New menu at White Hart Hamstead Marshall – a winner
Oh I am such a lucky person. I was invited by The White Hart to test their new menu and what a wonderful menu it was. The photos are above. The starters were new season English asparagus with a poached egg and Serrano ham with micro herbs. We nearly came to blows over whether the […]
The Rising Sun in Stockcross
I happened to win a free meal here which was very generously donated to West Berkshire Mencaps Zumbathon as a raffle prize. I agreed to do this Zumbathon which was a herculean piece of enormous effort because I naively thought it was something to do with dance. Actually it was stonkingly hard exercise that everyone […]
Bladebone again
I have found myself a wonderful new eating partner, Alex who helps organise the Chapel Row Fayre which is supporting West Berkshire Mencap this year. She doesn’t raise an eyebrow when I order a main sharing platter as a starter, we always have pre starters and she offers tastes. Also she has the cutest most […]
The Newbury Pub
What a joy to have such a fantastic pub slap bang in the middle of Newbury. I am so used to going out to the Bladebone or the White Hart and yet we have another really interesting pub in Newbury Town Centre. This pub has been taken over by a very enthusiastic and hard working […]
White Hart lunch
Oh yes, I was lucky enough to go to the White Hart today with one of my Trustees, a delightful person that I shall call Wendy (as that is her name). She joined the board of West Berkshire Mencap over 5 years ago and I think it is fair to say, as this is a […]
The Bladebone April 2013
Yay, the new menu is up and the lunch menu includes the pork scratchings with apple sauce, almost a meal in itself (if you are not me), whipped goats’ cheese with black olive, beetroot and balsamic. Also Pigeon with tobacco, watercress and spelt, foie gras with pistachio and granny smith and chicken liver parfait with […]
bladebone, smoked duck 0513
Thank you White Hart
Oh what a delicious delight. My mother was in Kintbury doing some holy thing with monks and we rescued her to take her for a decent meal near by. The White Hart in Hampstead Marshall is just superb. It is fast becoming my favourite work pub in that is very near my work, West Berkshire […]