Mrs. Wanderer and I popped into the Red Lion in Redbourne, Lincolnshire for a cheeky Good Friday lunch—one of our favourite local spots. The place was buzzing (no surprise on a holiday!), and although we hadn’t booked, we slipped in behind another unbooked couple. Our young waitress looked momentarily startled (think “rabbit in headlights”), but she soon recovered and showed us to a cosy booth just around the corner from the bar—right opposite the loos, though thankfully no funny smells!
When she returned, we didn’t waste any time ordering both drinks and food in one go. We asked for ginger ales with ice, only to discover they had none. Strange for a pub not to stock it. Undeterred, we opted for crisp lemonade instead.
For our mains, Mrs. Wanderer went for her beloved battered haddock goujons (complete with chips and mushy peas), and I revisited the Southern-fried chicken strips (served with chips, coleslaw, and a dressed salad). The fish was spot-on—golden, flaky, and devoured in record time (after a hasty request for tartare sauce). My chicken strips, however, were a tad drier and chewier than on previous visits, and my chips looked like they’d lingered a little too long under the heat lamp. We also noticed the portions seemed a smidge smaller—could this be the cost-of-living pinch in action?
Curiously, not a single staff member checked in on us once we’d started eating or even when we popped over to pay at the bar—maybe they were just swamped with the holiday rush. While settling our bill, we spied the drinks chiller and confirmed: no ginger ale in sight (though there was plenty of tonic water and a lone bottle of pink lemonade). We wondered how they handle a whisky‑and‑ginger order!
All in all, a lively afternoon with just a couple of hiccups. Despite the missing ginger ale and slightly overcooked chicken, we’ll probably be back.
The Willoughton Wanderer 
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