The Willoughton Wanderer

"Eating my way through life one bite at a time!"

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Eating my way through life one bite at a time! My Willoughton Wanderer blog tells the story of my various visits to eateries, pubs and restaurants, both good and bad, on my travels together with the occasional recipe thrown in for good measure.

  • The Swallow Inn, Swallow, Lincolnshire

    We arrived at the Swallow Inn at 12.55pm and found the restaurant area quiet with just four tables occupied. The pub has the faded air of an ’80s working men’s club without the swirling cigarette smoke, but it seemed pleasant enough.

    We were shown to our table by the young female waiting staff in a long shallow alcove with a sunflower yellow upholstered bench seat which had, frankly, seen better days. It was quite heavily stained in places and could do with a thorough shampoo. The tabletops were made from some battleship grey wood effect material and felt sticky.

    Mrs Wanderer ordered a soft drink as we were going on to an appointment after lunch and I opted for a flat white coffee. This is where the experience declined. My wife’s drink arrived promptly but it was some ten minutes before my coffee materialised. I quickly said to the waitress that the coffee wasn’t hot, just lukewarm, and she obligingly went off to make another. This again took ten minutes to make and, although hot this time, was extremely milky. I didn’t feel inclined to complain a second time and left half the cup undrunk.

    Another couple arrived and sat at the table adjacent to us in the alcove.

    At the time the coffee was served up I said that, after perusing the menu, we were ready to order. I was told that there was another table ahead of us and they hadn’t made their minds up yet and we had to wait. So, we waited for a further ten minutes before our order was taken. It seemed strange that we weren’t allowed to order despite being ready but if that’s the way they operate then so be it.

    The other couple ordered their meals after us.

    We both plumped for what we thought was a simple meal – grilled halloumi salad. This turned out to be a mistake because it became obvious, very quickly that there were problems with the service coming from the kitchen.

    After a wait of half-an-hour I asked the waitress how much longer it would be for our salads and, after checking with the kitchen, she returned and said that one more table was going to come out first then ours was to be plated. The other couple were making noises also about the speed of service and wondered if they were bussing the food in from what I gather was a sister pub somewhere nearby.

    Meals came out for two further tables with still no sign of ours. At this point, some 50 minutes after arriving we decided we could wait no longer due to our later appointment so I approached the bar and said we would pay for the drinks but would cancel the meal. We were told again that our salads were next out and then, low and behold, the other couple’s meal was brought out. When I complained that they weren’t even serving up food in the order taken I was told meals were served up as and when they were ready. The other lady was mortified that their meals had come out before ours and I complained that it doesn’t take 45 minutes to grill some halloumi and plate up with a salad.

    We understood that the other lady had asked why service was so slow and was told that they were a chef down. In that case draft someone else in as I’d hate to see how they would cope if the place was busy.

    We paid and left (a first for us), never to return.

  • The Least Sourdoughy Loaf We’ve Ever Encountered!

    We popped in to Uncle Henry’s at Grayingham in Lincolnshire as we needed a nice artisan loaf for our planned lunch of cheese and pickles, and we plumped for what was labelled a “Sourdough” loaf.

    Back at the ranch we were a little disappointed on slicing said loaf as it was the least sourdoughy we’ve ever encountered. The crumb was tight and not at all open as it should characteristically be and the crust, if you could call it that, was soft to the touch – no crust at all!

    I said to Mrs Wanderer that maybe the loaf had been mislabelled and she quipped in return that I was being overly generous!

    A disappointing loaf to say the least from what is normally an excellent farm shop.

    https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g12309111-d3210347-r921380261-Uncle_Henry_s-Grayingham_Lincolnshire_England.html#

  • Stuffed Squid with a Tomato, Tomatillo and Kale Sauce

    Here I am stuffing the squid tubes with a seafood medley comprising of chopped prawns, mussels and the squid tentacles but you could stuff them with a mixture of chopped vegetables or spinach depending on your tastes.

    Serves 1

    Cooking time about 20 minutes

    Ingredients:

    4 squid tubes, washed and dried.

    3 large raw king prawns coarsely chopped

    6 – 8 cooked mussels coarsely chopped

    The tentacles from the squid tubes, again coarsely chopped.

    2 large tomatoes roughly chopped

    2 or 3 tomatillos roughly chopped (they add a citrusy zest!)

    1 large Kale leaf, deveined and chopped coarsely

    half a teaspoon of Korean gochujang pepper paste

    2 teaspoons of tomato puree slaked down in 20mls of hot water

    1 teaspoon garlic puree

    2 tablespoons olive oil

    Salt for seasoning

    4 cocktail sticks

    Preparation:

    Firstly, mix the prawns, mussels and the squid tentacles thoroughly in a bowl together with the Korean pepper sauce coating everything with its unctuousness. Carefully stuff the squid tubes with the mixture and secure the open ends of each with a cocktail stick. Set aside whilst you prepare the other ingredients.

    In a medium sized saucepan heat one tablespoon of olive oil and add the tomatoes and tomatillos. Fry off over a gentle heat for a few minutes until they start to soften. The tomatillos cook down quicker than the tomatoes and create a lovely zesty sauce. Add the garlic puree and fry off for a further couple of minutes and then add the tomato puree water and the kale. Season with some salt and simmer whilst you turn your attention to the squid.

    In a shallow frying pan heat the remaining olive oil and add the stuffed squid tubes. Fry on a low to medium heat for about five minutes, turning regularly until they start to brown and firm up. If you cook on too high a heat the squid tubes will shrink and the contents will burst out. Once browned place the squid on a chopping board and carefully remove the cocktail sticks. They’ve done their job by preventing the seafood medley squeezing out in the initial frying.

    Add the squid tubes to the tomato and tomatillo sauce and allow to poach for a further five minutes or so, spooning the sauce over them in the process.

    Once cooked serve up onto a warmed plate and enjoy this wonderful summer seafood dish (well it is a heatwave!)

  • The Vinery, Rolleston, Nottinghamshire

    We decided to take a trip to Southwell racecourse on Sunday as there was an antiques fair on. If we had followed the brown signs to the racecourse on the main road we would never have stumbled across The Vinery at Rolleston, an absolute jewel in the village’s crown! Well done to the satnav for taking us that way.

    From the road The Vinery looks like any country pub which on a Sunday lunchtime you might think did the standard beef and turkey roast dinners but don’t be fooled. We were greeted by one of the young waiting staff and I, stupidly, immediately asked if they were doing their standard lunch menu (thinking of sandwiches, baguettes and the like rather than a heavy roast). I hadn’t realised until we were given the menus that this is in fact a lovely tapas and mezze restaurant. What a bonus!

    The menu gave us a kaleidoscopic host of dishes to choose from, all of which sounded delicious. There is a small plates menu together with larger plates such as Lamb Kleftiko and Confit Duck.

    Mrs Wanderer decided on the grilled halloumi with courgettes, pomegranate mollasses dressing and mint together with patatas bravas plus a third dish of chorizo prawns from the small plates menu. I opted for the chilli mushrooms and the deep fried salt and pepper calamari with a chilli dipping sauce. Lots of chilli but then we like our heat. The dishes ranged in price from £6 to £9 with the larger plates coming in at between £18 and £24.

    The menu makes it clear that “These will be delivered individually as ready, as everything is cooked to order”. Fair enough, and the first out of the traps was the halloumi. We love grilled halloumi but have never paired it with mint let alone pomegranates but it was a revelation. Thoroughly delicious and it prepared our appetites for what was to follow.

    As it happened the remaining dishes all came out of the kitchen at the same time. The deep fried calamari was moist and succulent and the chilli mushrooms with white wine, ginger & garlic finished with lemon & parsley butter was so packed full of flavour that I wish I could replicate them at home.

    The prawns were served up with slices of chorizo, a pairing that will forever work well, “pan fried and finished with garlic butter” and came with a couple of small slices of crusty bread, as did the mushrooms, to mop up the remaining sauce. The patatas bravas were lightly crispy and the sauce was flavoursome. For an extra quid you can have them served up with aioli but given the quantity of garlic in the other plates we declined.

    The meal was exceptional and a boost for what had so far been a good day. The chef certainly knows how to cook this style of food (the full panoply of compliments to them) and The Vinery is definitely on the list of return visits if only to try something different!

    Thoroughly recommend a stop by if you’re in the area! Enjoy!

  • The Stag, Barkston, Nr Grantham

    The Stag Inn is a delightful looking pub overlooking the small green in the village of Barkston near Grantham. Internally the pub is clean and tidy with a range of two and four seater tables with New England shades of light blue on the painted table legs in the restaurant area. We didn’t venture into the pub side so can’t vouch for the decor in there.

    We arrived unannounced just after opening time of 12 and were offered a table with no difficulty. There was a menu of the usual offerings of fish and chips and a range of burgers together with roast salmon, chargrilled pork chop, a leek and cauliflower cheese pot pie, ham egg and chips and a vegetable lasagne amongst others.

    A specials chalkboard hung on the far wall and the crab and prawn salad with Mediterranean bread sounded so good we both opted for it. That was a mistake as we were to find out. The meals were reasonably quick to arrive and were served up in two large bowls with a dusting of paprika round the edges.

    What hit me immediately was the large flaccid green lettuce leaf draped over the edge of the bowl, together with a whole half-a-lemon that we each had. A small wedge would be perfect. The bread tasted sweet and was as far from the Mediterranean as it could possibly be apart from the occasional input of sundried tomato.

    What irked me most though was that the bread was delivered up pre-buttered with what looked like some bright yellow catering spread. A small ramakin of real butter between the two of us would work so much better. When asked if everything was okay I mentioned this and was told that chef would be informed.

    Having said all that the crab and prawn salad was full of flavour and sat on a nice mixed salad of red peppers, lettuce, red onion and cornichons.

    A word of advice to the wise….. don’t sit at the table near the restaurant counter as this is where the pub’s phone is located. On at least two occasions the phone was left to ring unanswered by the staff, presumably as they were busy elsewhere (the pub was by no means full) and was right behind my head! The volume of the ringer was high and it would have been a more pleasant experience for us if, firstly, it was answered and, secondly, the volume was turned down.

    On the plus side the staff were polite and helpful but the food not so great.

  • The George, Market Square, Kirton Lindsey, Lincolnshire.

    Happy to Return

    We decided to visit the George in Market Square, Kirton Lindsey for an evening meal as it’s only a short drive up the road from us and it’s not been long since it was refurbished.

    The first thing to bear in mind is that this pub has a plush website but doesn’t have an online table booking system. I left a phone message to book a table but this hadn’t translated into a booking when we arrived in the evening. However, it was a Tuesday and the pub had plenty of table space. Note to self: phone after opening at 4.30pm.

    We had the choice of tables and decided to sit down the far end away from the bar. We quickly moved table though as it became apparent that there was a draft from the door to the beer garden.

    Lighting in the George is quite low except around the bar area. If you like taxidermy then you might choose to sit opposite the bar under, by my reckoning, at least ten stuffed deer heads looking down on you. Not to my taste but then again we are in the country. There was a stuffed bird adorning the windowsill where we sat, and the tables, predominantly four-seaters where we were, are plain finished bleached pine. The chairs are very eclectic with no two being the same.

    There is an online bar menu which we had previously perused and a selection of specials. Mrs Wanderer chose the Tandoori Halibut Kiev with Bombay saag aloo, spiced mango chutney, pickled carrots, edible flowers and herb oil off the specials menu and I opted for the Cider Braised Belly Pork from the bar menu. This came with creamed mashed potatoes, a sumptuous black pudding croquette, roasted baby apples the size of ten-pence pieces, burnt apple puree and tenderstem broccoli.

    When the meals arrived presentation was exceptional but there were a few problems with the dishes, especially Mrs W’s.

    If you like crackling on your pork belly you will be disappointed. However, I’m not a fan from a previously broken tooth point-of-view so was more then happy with the dish. The fat on the pork was rendered beautifully and the tenderstem broccoli was firm under the fork. As I say the black pudding croquette was sumptuous and the mashed potato supremely smooth.

    Mrs Wanderer was not quite so pleased with her meal. She commented that a Kiev of any kind should have a garlic butter, or somesuch, filling but this seemed to have nothing inside. If it had then it had cooked out and was just a halibut fillet, albeit a very large and thick halibut fillet wrapped in batter/breadcrumbs. Top-notch battered fish you might think but the batter (or breadcrumbs, I’m not sure) was soggy. The tandoori flavours didn’t come through and she said that from a spice point-of-view it was very bland. Disappointing at £20.95.

    To accompany the meal Mrs W had a large glass of Shiraz and I had a pint of Hopical Storm, one of my favourite craft ales.

    In all this was a moderately expensive meal at a shade over £50 for the two of us including drinks, especially when one of the meals wasn’t up to scratch. However, I wouldn’t shy away from another visit if the urge presented itself. Happy to recommend but avoid the halibut if it’s on the menu.

    https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g12014380-d3357238-r910037389-The_George_Bar_Restaurant-Kirton_in_Lindsey_Gainsborough_Lincolnshire_England.html#

  • The Sun Inn at Everton near Doncaster

    Excellent Repeat Visit

    This was the first time that we had visited the Sun Inn at Everton near Doncaster since Darren, the manager, had taken over from the previous incumbents (he had beforehand managed the sister pub of the same name in Retford and done an excellent job there). We weren’t at all disappointed and it’s obvious he has a natural flair for the role.

    We arrived on a damp Friday lunchtime just after 12pm and were greeted by Darren with a warm welcome. It was early and we were the only customers, although this changed quickly thereafter as more arrived.

    The menu gave an excellent choice of meals and I initially chose the tortellini with added prawns. Unfortunately this turned out to be unavailable so I opted for the next best dish of purple gnocchi, again with prawns, topped with pea shoots and asparagus tips. Mrs Wanderer went for one of the specials in the form of the ‘catch of the day’, salmon, with a Nicoise salad.

    On the dishes’ arrival we were impressed with the portion sizes and the quantity of gnocchi nearly stumped me, but I worked my way diligently through the pasta with its lovely tomatoey sauce. I counted 7 king prawns in total but a few more would have been welcome. Picky perhaps but even so it was a joyful meal and one I would certainly repeat, perhaps with the alternative chicken option. I have to admit that this ‘second’ choice of meal turned out to be the right one so spot on chef.

    Mrs W’s salmon was delivered up in the form of a fillet resting on the salad with the customary boiled eggs and olives. They certainly didn’t skimp on the salad! She commented that the skin of the salmon was nicely crisp which is not always the case with other eateries.

    After a disappointing last visit (several years ago to be fair) this was a lovely visit and one we are sure to repeat soon. I would highly recommend a meal at the Sun Inn and I also request that Darren doesn’t move on to pastures new!

    https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g12425769-d5037274-r907800735-Sun_Inn-Everton_Nottinghamshire_England.html#

  • Tamarind Glazed Poussin

    We went to Aldi the other day (get over yourself, it’s Aldi – great food!) and found that they had some lovely poussin for sale at £2.99 a bird. As Mrs Wanderer was out at book club tonight I thought I’d cook this lovely tamarind glazed poussin with crushed, buttered new potatoes (freshly lifted from the garden) and asparagus.

    Ingredients:

    1 spatchcocked poussin cut into breasts, thighs and legs.

    For the glaze:

    2 tablespoons tamarind paste

    2 teaspoons coriander seeds

    2 teaspoons cumin seeds

    2 teaspoons ground cardormum

    2 teaspoons fennel seeds

    1 green chilli, diced

    1 tablespoon tomato puree

    35g demerara sugar

    1 teaspoon ginger puree

    500ml water

    2 new potatoes freshly lifted from the garden!

    6 asparagus spears

    To make:

    Add all of the glaze ingredients and tamarind paste to the water and bring to the boil. Simmer on a high heat for 25 minutes and reduce by about a third. Strain through a sieve and leave to cool.

    Spatchcock the poussin and cut into quarters, breast and thighs. When the marinade is cool spoon over the poussin and leave in the fridge for at least an hour, overnight is best.

    Heat the oven to 180 centigrade fan sprinkle some fennel seeds over the bird and cook the poussin for 40 minutes, spooning over the marinade every ten minutes or so. When cooked leave to rest for 15 minutes.

    In the meantime bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add your freshly lifted new potatoes (in our case we’re using Charlottes). Steam the asparagus above the potatoes.

    When the potatoes and asparagus are cooked plate up the poussin and enjoy. Add butter to the crushed new potatoes and asparagus for a delicious touch!

  • Prawn and Tomatillo Linguine

    Tomatillo’s for the uninitiated (as I was two years ago before we started growing them) are a Mexican variety, akin to a tomato, that grows in a papery husk (much like a Cape Gooseberry but bigger!) with a very citrusy flavour. Green in colour when ripe, and slightly sticky, they are just starting to come into their own in the garden so I thought I’d throw them into this simple lunch dish.

    Ingredients:

    6 large raw king prawns cut into quarters

    6 tomatillos coarsely chopped

    Half a shallot, diced

    1 teaspoon garlic puree

    Olive oil

    Salt to taste

    Linguine pasta, enough for two

    Chopped parsley fresh from the garden

    Recipe:

    Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and start the pasta cooking. In a saute pan heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and add the chopped tomatillos. After a few minutes of sauteing add the garlic puree and fry off for a couple more minutes. Add about 30 to 40mls of water and with the pan lid on cook down for a further ten minutes, or until the tomatillos soften. Add salt to taste.

    Check the pasta and when you’re happy that it’s nearly done (al dente is nice) add the prawns to the saute pan stirring them into the sauce. Put the pan lid back on and steam for a few minutes, stirring occasionally until cooked. Test for seasoning (the sauce should have a nice gentle citrus flavour).

    Drain the linguine and divide between two bowls. Dish up the prawns and tomatillos in their unctuous sauce and sprinkle the chopped parsley over the top. Serve with a wedge of lemon for an extra kick of flavour.

    This is such a simple dish to make and so quick too. Hope you enjoy it!

  • Hake with Clams, Tomato and Wilted Spinach

    I love fish (and shellfish) so this fits the bill for a perfect summer lunch!

    Ingredients:

    1 Hake fillet

    8 cooked clams

    2 large handfuls of washed spinach

    1 large tomato coarsely chopped

    1 tablespoon tomato puree

    1 teaspoon garlic puree

    Salt and pepper for seasoning

    Olive oil

    Pine nuts (a handful)

    150ml water

    A few cubes of butter

    Recipe:

    In a medium sized saute pan heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and add the chopped tomatoes. Cook over a gentle heat for a few minutes until the tomatoes start to soften. Add the garlic puree and stir in. Cook for a further 2 minutes.

    Meanwhile slake the tomato puree down in 150ml of hot water and add to the pan. Once up to heat again add the cooked clams and a handful of pine nuts. Mix together thoroughly then pile in the spinach! Put a lid on the pan and let the spinach gently wilt down, stirring occasionally. Add salt to taste.

    Pat dry the hake fillet and season on both sides with a few grinds of salt and pepper. In a heavy-based frying pan heat another two tablespoons of olive oil and add the cubes of butter. Once the butter is foaming place the hake fillet in the pan skin side down and allow to panfry for a few minutes on each side depending on its thickness. You want a nice crisp skin to the hake but don’t overcook it. Once cooked remove from the pan and allow to rest for a couple of minutes.

    Dish up the clams in their delightful tomato and spinach sauce and top off with the hake. Add a drizzle of olive oil and voila, tis done!

    Enjoy!