EDitorial ± 18-Apr-2011

Light Lunches: Barnes Catering, Martlesham Heath

Even though everybody's jumping, sometimes the Vengabus ain't coming. Can't get past the rolled artic near Foxhall Road roundabout, comes word. No trip into The Swich for us, this pre-Easter Monday. Bikes it is. Dual decision to trawl the adjacent Martlesham business park for a burger or bap.

Right into Betts Avenue, left into Hawker Drive, and look/see these units over there: Chinese, Indian, pizza places, all closed. Ahoy, what's this on the end? None other than Barnes Catering offering "sandwiches, salads and snacks". That's OK, we're all sorted out for eats and crisps.

Drinks (inc. Ben Shaw) to the left of 'em, Walkers to the right, here we are, stuck in the middle with fillings straight ahead. Will it be the (1) sandwich, (2) bap, (3) French stick, (4) cheese topped bap, (5) long roll or (6) wrap? This is trickier than Danger UXB. Pick one and stick with it: tuna mayo and sweetcorn, ta, in baguette. Which turns out to be tiger bread, which I love. CTB for that there Andy.

Says the serving bloke, "We have some seats outside when the weather's good." It's good now, I observe. "Good point," he says, "I'll bring 'em out." And he does, magically producing a silver table and two chairs from round the back. Bingo: instant prime spot in the noonday sun. We've sat in worse places and had worse food than this, let me tell you. Conditions are optimal for a frank discussion of families and how not to handle them.

I pop back in for a takeaway dessert, then it's a leisurely freewheel back to Ritazza in the BT hub for coffee and to share my monster almond flapjack. Plus a bit more sitting around in the sun. That was a quality lunchtime.

If it was a car -- Caterham Superlight.
If they were passing by -- Peter Barnes.