Saturday, 28 March 2015

No 10 Beaulieu



Home to the Boat Jumble (Sunday 26th) and Lord Montague's country seat, along with one of the few privately owned rivers in the UK


The Boat Jumble comes to town on the 26th April, bringing bargain hunters and traffic chaos to this picturesque village in the New Forest, home to the fairytale Palace House, the Michelin starred Montague Arms and the succulent Fairweathers Nursery, and my Primary School.




The breakfast: Steff's Kitchen. Cyclists and gardeners, hungry hikers and limber locals flood into this airy, barn like building attached to Fairweathers Garden Centre which has been at Beaulieu as long as I can remember. The breakfast is very popular and there is a good choice from the full English (£7.50) to Eggs Benedict and bacon & egg sandwich all eggs free range and local. There is always a choice of hot lunch specials I love their club sandwich but its the queue for home made cakes and scones that always impress me.


The full English
     
Topiarysaurus
   

For lunch if you partook of the full English above you might consider a scenic stroll along the river bank to Bucklers Hard




The Hike - This unspoilt river is still alive with the calls of Curlews and Green Shanks: walk quietly and you may see a Kingfisher on the branches overhanging the waters edge. An easy 2 mile walk along gravel path. Reward at the end? The Master Builders is a cosy hotel with bar attached. The restaurant looks out over gardens to the river and you can while away some happy hours before hitting the path home to Beaulieu.

Hops choice: the steak, ale & kidney suet pastry pudding, followed by the lemon tart

The Sunday lunch at £19.95 for two courses is a pretty and popular choice.


Bucklers Hard Marina


The Master Builders




 
The bike  - I carried on by bike form Bucklers Hard and passed the skeletal remains of what was once an important base for the Cistercian Monks, having been gifted the land back in 1204; with the Abbey at Beaulieu, the Lay Brothers based here at St Leonards and the monks keeping their fishing boats at Gins Farm, now home to the RSYC, this was quite a prize for Henry VIII to ransack during the Reformation that darned Cromwell again, I hope youve been watching Wolf Hall?

However, the quiet road that runs along to Sowley is a great ride. The sea to your left and farmland all around you, in no time at all I whizz into East End.



For those who havent heard of the East End Arms, its claim to fame, firstly is that it serves way above average pub food and secondly that it is owned by bass guitarist John Illsley, who played for Dire Straits and owns the George at Yarmouth as well as this warm hearted pub. The cosy dining room has a log fire burning and some great black & white photos on the walls, fun to recognise the faces, and some classic portraits by David Bailey.















For dinner

Hops choice: It has to be the beer battered fish & chips for me, this time Whiting, with crisp calamari to start, with a paprika mayonnaise. The fish was white and flaky, just perfectly cooked.




  
Super crisp calamari with paprika mayonnaise
 

And for dessert the treacle tart. Total with drinks £31





Luckily for me a bunch of regular diners came in just after me and nearly left the building when they saw that the fishcakes werent on and the treacle tart had gone. But John is a convivial guy and had soon checked with the chef who pulled forward some haddock and chive fish cakes that hed made for that evening and a new treacle tart it was divine! Short pastry, just the right depth of golden goo and a tickle of lemon on the taste buds, but not too much superb with their homemade vanilla ice cream.

Now, to the wine list. We already know that Ringwood Best and 49er are on tap and very well kept, as is the Thatchers, but the wine list has been selected by a local girl Helen McGinn, of some fame. You may have heard of the Knackered Mothers Wine Club blog? 
And now Helens book has been published if you dont have time to follow her blog or on twitter @knackeredmutha

She has pulled this wine list together using three local suppliers we like that! And even more to like is the fact that she has selected my wine of the moment Gruner Veltliner from Austria, fresh as the hills above Saltzburg and so clear you feel it must be bathing the liver. enjoy.



If you're having too much fun and haven't even started on the wine list, Id book room No 2. B&B starts at £95 - £120
Too tired to cycle back to the boat - why not stay the night?

 

Mileage from Beaulieu to the East End Arms 5:2 miles



Interesting facts Bucklers Hard Shipbuilding

Did you know that the Agamemnon Yard is named after Admiral Nelsons favourite ship, and that it was built at Bucklers Hard in 1781, one of three naval ships built here that fought at Trafalgar.


Shipwright School IBTC – opening this year. What better place to set up a hands-on facility than here at Buckler’s Hard. The students will work with large sections of timber, using pit saws, side axes and period tools, once commonly used here. This is part of Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard’s 47 week course, more info at www.ibtcportsmouth.co.uk


Wednesday, 4 March 2015

No. 9 Southampton

- home to the Boat Show. 
Contributing £990 million to the UK economy through it's Container Port & Cruise Ships. Voted 'Best UK Departure Port' from the 1.5 million passengers that pass through Southampton's Ocean Terminus
And celebrating 50 years of being a city – without a cathedral.

During the chillier months it's good to take the boat out for a short run, fire the engines, flap the sails, but with something hot at the end to make it all worthwhile. I have a soft spot for Southampton, as I spent my formative years down on the Beaulieu River (see April issue of All at Sea) and if you are Solent based it makes a good day trip to take in a movie, do some shopping or stay over and do it all, plus dinner and a light flutter maybe?

I'm thinking steam up to Ocean Village where Picture House's Harbour Lights has a great view over the marina. The staff are fun, the wine list well researched and the pizzas not bad at all. Film quiz once a month on Tuesday nights is great fun and their cakes and cookies go down well with a nice cup of tea.


Harbour Lights, great wine list and you can take it in to the movie

I was working in Southampton when Ocean Village was born, we built the Royal Southampton Yacht Club and the traditional townhouses on the pier. I now look on with admiration and incredulity at the high rise apartments that thrust an 'I told you so' digit skywards. According to the Sunday Times, Southampton boasts one of the best returns in buy-to-let in the country, and Ocean Village is the top earner.

Skyscrapers & Solent racing

Once you’re tied up there are many choices: the afore mentioned Harbour Lights, the waterfront bars of Banana Wharf and Pitcher & Piano – the latter being my favourite; a clean, fun place to watch the sun go down and enjoy happy hour or something more nourishing..
Cosy interior of Pitcher and Piano

Lunch deal at Pitcher and Piano

No 4 Canute Road is my absolute favourite in this area and I would head here for a great coffee (Anvil for those who notice) or perhaps their range of nibbles and drinks before heading off to the cinema; but my top tip is to get up early on a bright morning and do Jane Austen’s walking trail that takes you around the more interesting buildings of old Southampton, then have brunch here at No 4. All you can eat from the buffet, the teen made short work of it and returned…

No 4 Canute Road



This area is seeing some dramatic building and the area around Queen’s Square some pleasant gentrifying – I approve. 

Elegant Queen's Square

The choice of restaurants found along Oxford Street has always been good but my favourites remain The White Star and Simon’s at Oxfords (used to be simply Oxfords) 

Simon's at Oxfords

If you stay at Town Quay you have the ever buzzing Margharitas on-site, but can step over the road to Regatta for tapas or to Ennios for one of the best value Sunday roasts cooked by an Italian restaurant – cosy and friendly. Further you have the Pig in the Wall – mentioned in our Southampton Boat Show round-up – just piggy bits here (cold meats & cheeses) and a decent drink from the bar, nice surroundings, quite like the afternoon tea and slice of cake but they have competition with Harbour Lights chocolate and chilli cake and No 4’s fresh pastries ….
La Regata – Spanish olé and tapas 
 Ennios Sunday lunch

If you want a more sheltered night, then a quieter destination can be found at Shamrock Quay, tucked up the River Itchen, where the Yellow Welly Café and new kid on the block Quay 15 are based. I worked at Shamrock Quay back in the day when Dean & Dyball's development wing was based here and it was an unexpected oasis of productivity in the ugly docklands area that now is home to Saints Stadium. 

Saints stadium at St Mary’s

Shamrock Quay and Quay 15

The Waterfront Bar at Shamrock Quay

Quay 15 is rated No 1 on Trip Adviser, and I know we need to read reviews with intelligence and a pinch of coarsely ground, locally sourced rock salt, but Quay 15 is worth booking. If you can wait for a free Saturday and try their taster menu then you are in for a treat. Some serious young chef’s here that know what they are doing and enjoy working with seasonal, quality produce. Here’s the menu for their next taster menu: http://www.quayfifteen.co.uk/menus/thursday-12th-feb-quay-fifteens-1st-birthday/

Full review will be on the blog later in Spring – as I can’t get in yet either.
hopshikesandbites.blogspot.co.uk

Look out for - New micro brewery opening at the Wool Museum, this fabulous building will open its doors on the 27th Feb so do give it a go and try their home crafted beers, which you may have already tried at the Dancing Man bar, down the road. The building is worth a visit on its own!

Also, if you have time on your hands there is an interesting photo exhibition on at Southampton Solent University showing the City celebrating 50 years since it was awarded City status by the Queen – it took five years for the petition to succeed. Ends 28th Feb

Hike or bike

  

Bike - Join Route 2 and head on to Portsmouth, but maybe stop at Warsash for refreshment?
http://www.gps-routes.co.uk/routes/home.nsf/RoutesLinksCycle/southampton-to-portsmouth-cycle-route
And if you fancy a brief walk round the Old Town before heading to No 4 for the 'all you can eat' brunch then pick up a leaflet on Jane Austen’s trail or do the Old Town walk


Or the Titanic trail

http://www.discoversouthampton.co.uk/uploads/media_items/titanic-trail-map.original.pdf