last weekend

So, C, Voddy and I had an excellent time last weekend getting slightly burnt in Cornwall with their Mum and Dad (as I've said before, their birthdays and Wedding Anniversary). We all drove down together, had a wonderful French picnic on the Beach at Bude (Crooklets Beach) then shot bows and arrows up on the headland, looking out at the blu, blue sea,a nd trying to avoid taking out walkers. Fun!

This is C about to shoot - she's a lefty, it's not transposed.

We then drove on to the secret location, near Padstow, for the main part of the parental surprise. We drove up to the gates and saw a beautiful old grey stone rectory (here ->) with a lovely lawn etc. The bedrooms while not my taste were very beautiful - and comfortable, well decorated and thought out. There was a cafetiere with 2 types of coffee, several teas, hot chocolate. but none of this required - the owners came to our doors with glasses of Camel Valley sparkling (which was delicious) and home-made chocolates, one chocoalet ganache and one passionfruit, and both excellent.

We all chilled before dinner, which took us from 8.30 to 11.30 to eat. Quite sublime. There are 2 tasting menus (which will take into account allergies etc they are warned of, I am told they have previously done vegan versions too), one at £45 and one at £65. C, her Dad and I had the more expensive one - asparagus, smoked mayonnaise and a fried quail's egg; divine lobster risotto (with big pieces of fantastic lobster), apparently flavoured with orange and basil, and topped with a lobster bisque froth; turbot on a chicory tart with grapefruit and pistachio (subtle!); then perfectly cooked lamb on cornish earlies (spuds) and artichoke, with olives and tarragon (worked so well together I couldn't have separated out each flavour, but it tasted marvellously simple); Passionfruit curd with natural yoghurt ice cream (a perfect palate cleanser); then a bitter chocolate pudding, with an espresso wafer and malted milk ice cream, and a trickle of syrup flavoured with crushed coffee beans around it. Generally, perfection, we all felt one of (if not the) best meals we'd had, ever, and we all love food. While we were all too full to have cheese or petits fours, each dish was delicate, so the whoe was not overwhelming in flavours or volume. Mmmmm. reccommend!

****blogger tells me it has uploaded pics of the pudding, but he lies!****