LongBlogs

While visiting Chester, we enjoyed lunch at the Jaunty Goat cafe. I found the place on FourSquare  as one of the highest recommended coffee shops in the city. Service was lacking when we arrived. There were no seats, it was a Saturday afternoon and the place was packed. Still, we queued patiently at the counter, waiting for our turn, when we ordered some coffee and lunch. The barista asked us for a table number to take our order. We told her that we didn't know where we'd be sitting as there wasn't any space. We were told -get this- that we needed a table number to order. We again told her that we didn't have a seat yet, which totally confused her to the point that she nearly refused the order. Luckily, common sense prevailed and we were able to get a seat at a table. The coffee was, as advertised, fabulous, rich, flavourful, aromatic, perfect. I ordered smashed avocado on toast, which was nice, but very oily. Neil had a peanut butter blondie. I'd love to tell y...

This weekend, we stayed at Trafford Hall Hotel, Chester. The hotel is part of a registered charity, The National Communities Resource Centre, which offers support and training to people working and living in deprived areas throughout the UK, to develop their skills and ultimately empower them to improve their situations. We chose to book this hotel as a change from the usual faceless corporate hotels we find ourselves in. Trafford Hall is a grade II listed Georgian Manner House situated in beautiful gardens and woodland just a short drive from Chester city centre. We stayed in one of the hotel's 42 eco-chalets, which were clean, comfortable (although very,  very basic), and had a large window overlooking the forest. It was perfectly restful, quiet and tranquil. The room, as I mentioned before, was very basic, the whole chalet is made of wood, meaning creaky floorboards and thin walls. There was little on the walls, a very old carpet, no artwork, nothing to make th...

This weekend we dined at Chester Fields Gastropub, just five miles outside the city centre. http://www.thechesterfields.co.uk/ The restaurant was gold winner of best use of local products in a menu for 2016 & 2017. Chalkboards in the bar area ask that if any of the customers are aware of any local suppliers who may benefit from supplying the pub, that they should get in touch. The theme of hyper-local produce is evident on the menu, I had "Goosnargh chicken liver parfait, with toasted brioche", and "Reg Johnson's Duck & Cuttelford Farm Dauphinoise Potato". The parfait was lot lighter than those I have tried in the past, it was almost like a mousse, it tasted very fresh, a much more delicate texture than I'd expected. It was served with a side salad, which I think was drizzled in sesame oil. It was a very well put-together dish, however, not impervious to my pet peeve with parfait, there was not enough bread on which to spread the pate. There...