Writer and blogger specialising in alcohol-free beer, craft beer, hospitality and getting outdoors.
Posts about food and drink including pub and restaurant reviews, recipes, craft beer and the latest in my search for Hampshire's best burger.
I might be showing my age here, but is there anything better than a village fete on a warm and sunny summer’s day?
OK, maybe there is. But there aren’t many other places where you get to drink tea and beer in the same sitting, bowl for a pig, watch a tug of war tournament (which used to be an Olympic sport don’t you know), get your face painted and eat endless cakes and scones.… Read more
As you may have realised, I like good beer. And, while I’m not adverse to the odd lager when nothing else is available, I was wondering how I’d feed my beer addiction on our recent city break to Valencia. After all, on my previous trips to Spain, the only beers that were available were local mass-produced lagers – usually San Miguel or Estrella Damm.… Read more
Valencia, like many other places in Spain, is famous for tapas. Surely then, it should be easy to find a decent tapas bar in Valencia’s old town?
Not so. Even the people we spoke to in the shops couldn’t recommend a good place within walking distance, despite the fact that every restaurant and bar in the old town seemingly had tapas on the menu – even the non-Spanish establishments.… Read more
There’s no denying it – beer is big at the moment. Small breweries and micropubs are popping up all over the place, more and more pubs and shops are selling so-called “craft beer”, and sales of cask beer and real ale are on the rise. And, as evidenced by my recent trip to the Southampton Beer Festival, everyone – young and old, male and female – is on board.… Read more
Tiff and I aren’t the types to pop out for breakfast or brunch on a weekend. However, we stayed at Tiff’s dad’s in Marlow last night and he offered to treat us to breakfast at the cafe at the garden centre on the Stubbings House estate.
The garden centre and nursery is a short way up a pleasant drive, not far from the A404 between Marlow and Maidenhead.… Read more
Last weekend, our friends Lee and Becks took us on a mini tour of the Stroud area on the western edge of the Cotswolds.
The first stop was Stroud itself. We spent a short while looking around the weekly farmers’ market then popped into the Stroud Ale House for a drink (or several, as it turned out).
What a place! Located in what used to be a large bar/nightclub, this venue could be described as a “macropub” if such a thing exists.… Read more
