EDitorial ± 30-Apr-2017

130Story: Marine / Eager / Parents / Restaurant / Pretty

The rules of 130Story are simple: given a random seed word, write a story in 130 characters.

Marine

Eager

Parents

Restaurant

Pretty

More to follow.

EDitorial ± 24-Apr-2017

Light Lunches: La Hogue Farm Cafe

Browsing the latest list of Suffolk FADA nominations while lunching in what rightly emerged as the Best Cafe, G&T's, we discovered a category entitled "family dining". FADA website, a bit rubbish, had only the names with no accompanying links or locations, which left us pondering what and where these places might be.

Finalists were:

  • The Four Horseshoes at Thornham Magna near Eye, eventual winner
  • The Crown at Stowupland near Stowmarket
  • and La Hogue Farm Shop and Cafe at Chippenham near Newmarket

I'm off to Newmarket on Sunday morning, said that Andy. How's about we do breakfast at La Hogue? Which is what we did once we'd lugged an old eBayed six foot sideboard upstairs to its new home.

About 10 minutes from Newmarket close to the confluence of the A14 and A11 is "your local farm shop and cafe". We arrived around 10:15am, not long after opening time, and that car park was filling up. Shop is a cross between Suffolk Food Hall and Wyevale and leads through to the capaciously classy caff. Chop chop busy busy in there, the well-heeled of Ely chowing down on home-cooked English breakfasts.

Andy ordered while I grabbed a table. There's outdoor seating plus a separate area seemingly designated as a quiet zone, presumably free of screaming brats. Bit weird? I was lucky to land the last of the morning's specials, a rather fine combo of eggs, potato and bacon, while the driver settled for the regular breakfast. Stacks of stuff on the menu from salad to scampi to soup to sandwiches. Much like the similar-ish farmcafe, there's stacks of Stokes, always a good sign. None the wiser about that name and a bit out of the way for us over here in the far east but worth a trip.

If it was a car -- Venturi Eclectic.
If they were passing by -- Dan Snow.

EDitorial ± 23-Apr-2017

130Story: Victims / Does / Paint / Keep

The rules of 130Story are simple: given a random seed word, write a story in 130 characters.

Victims

Does

Paint

Keep

More to follow.

EDitorial ± 21-Apr-2017

Light Lunches: G&T's, Yoxford

And thrice they shall visit the venerable High Street of yonder Yoxford:

  • first occasion, stardate 2013, 'twas the actual Post Office with in-built caff
  • second occasion, stardate 2015, 'twas the not long lived Louie Lou's
  • third time, stardate 2017, 'tis the award-winning G&T's

We spent a quality lunchtime there on Friday 21st April. Three days later they won the highly covetable award for Best Coffee stroke Tea Shop in the 2017 EADT Suffolk Food & Drink Awards. Coincidence? Probably, though we were aware of their nomination along with Aldeburgh's Cragg Sisters and The Tea Hut. NB winner in 2016 was Applaud, the pride of Ipswich.

G and T are Gina and Thalia, busy cooking up a storm here since 2016. I'd been here a couple of times previously with various friends and family and been v. impressed. Savoury choices for me and Andy were the smoked chicken and mango salad (I know) and a pork & chorizo sausage roll, both highly original, with a Bottle Green and Fentimans on the side. Loadsa local goodies, too, inc. Stokes, Scarlet and Mustard, local choc and Earl Soham's very own Paddy and Scotts.

Come for the savoury but stay for the cakes. Given the distance from Martlesham, we ran out of time and had to settle for a takeaway slab of choc truffle cake with a knockout flat white. They're busy, busy, and open on the odd evening too. Go To G&T's.

If it was a car -- MGB GT.
If they were passing by -- Glenn Tilbrook.

EDitorial ± 16-Apr-2017

130Story: Popularity / Worthy / Propaganda / Terrific / Thrown

The rules of 130Story are simple: given a random seed word, write a story in 130 characters.

Popularity

Worthy

Propaganda

Terrific

Thrown

More to follow.

EDitorial ± 13-Apr-2017

Light Lunches: Goslings Garden Cafe, Trimley

En route to some early morning McD's pancakes yonks ago, I made passing reference to the local landmark that is the Trimley sausage shop roundabout. Shame, I lamented to Andy as we were about to pass it one lunchtime, that the venerable shop doesn't have a caff attached. Which was when bespectacled Andy spotted the "hot pies" sign sitting outside. Lunch!

One handbrake turn later, us pair were picking our pies inside The Real Sausage Co.. Chicken balti for yours truly and a steak and stilton for the driver, not a favourite of the proprietor, it turned out. Only a couple of quid with no extra charge for an unashamed zap in the microwave. Not quite the the finesse of John Hutton, to be sure, though most likely a darn sight cheaper. No internal seats and no hot drinks on offer, so not strictly on the list. Took advantage of a handy non-memorial wonky bench right outside, however, to down our meat products and sip my Barr cherryade.

That was all a precursor to the main event, a revisit to Goslings. Myself and Andy came here way back with good old Grenvyle and ate our lunch among the labyrinthine polytunnels. Sure I wrote that up at the time, but I cannae find it. So, here's the two of us back again for kaffee und kuchen in what we believe is the new-ish Garden Cafe.

Big shed reminds me of Sax's Pear Tree Cafe and him of Yoxford's Flying Goose Cafe. Ignoring the hooooge range of options on the long laminated menu since we're both pied up, we headed straight for sugary treats. Bakewell for the driver and a top notch white choc and pecan blondie for me. Decent coffee, too. Out through the external tables and it was busy busy busy. John Shuttleworth would love it here. Oof!

If it was a car -- BAV 485.
If they were passing by -- Drake.

EDitorial ± 9-Apr-2017

130Story: Lucky / Operation / Watch / Opinion / Kingdom

The rules of 130Story are simple: given a random seed word, write a story in 130 characters.

Lucky

Operation

Watch

Opinion

Kingdom

More to follow.

EDitorial ± 6-Apr-2017

Light Lunches: Red Poll Tearooms, Darsham

Despite my comprehensive education at the local comprehensive, I did not know that Yoxford landmark Satis House takes its name from Great Expectations. I don't doubt that the Latin scholars among us would know that "satis" means "enough", as in enough of my yakkin'.

Past San Souci on the right, past Satis House on the left and follow that give-us-a-sign pointing right to Westleton. Half a mile later, right again, not into Prime Irrigation (love that name) but the Emmerdale Farm Shop. I know, Emmerdale in Suffolk, eh? They've got the holy trinity of butchery, farm market and, for us, the Red Poll Tearooms. Always a warm welcome, reads the sign, and you have to admire the lack of an exclamation mark. Nicely played.

Stacks o' seating inside including a sofa upstairs. Sun's out, though, so we'll grab an outside table with attached blanket per chair, another quality touch. Hoorah for hygge. Many menu options but that'll be a breakfast bap for Andy and a self-assembly BLT for me with bacon worthy of John Hutton. Seemingly all possible San Pellegrino flavours available, too, and bonus points for the gamut of tourist information leaflets.

Apparently no discount for bringing in your own plates, sadly. Family-run business and it seemed that we met most of them that single lunchtime, every single one most welcoming, like the sign said. Given that we were at the very limits of our lunchtime range, didn't really have the time for coffee and cake but seemed rude not to. Very good Bury St Edmunds originating coffee with a satisfying slab of Victoria sponge. Super savoury and sweet and a soupcon of sun.

If it was a car -- John Deere Gator HPX.
If they were passing by -- Adam Henson.

EDitorial ± 2-Apr-2017

130Story: Invitation / Dining / Beautiful / Ocean / Adjust

The rules of 130Story are simple: given a random seed word, write a story in 130 characters.

Invitation

Dining

Beautiful

Ocean

Adjust

More to follow.