Tales from a traveller

Guest Post from the Princess Monkey. 

We are in Bray, an English village, not far from London.  Heston Blumenthal’s name [OBE & Fellow of The Royal Society of Chemistry] is all over the village. Most obviously  The Fat Duck of three Michelin Star fame, The Hinds Head, one Michelin Star and latterly The Crown, a pub.

I was invited for a sunny drive with the leading man, on a beautiful spring day and top down weather, we arrived in Bray in time for lunch. Bray is a small village and there weren’t many people about on a Monday.

We stepped into the Hind’s Head and found, surprisingly that the dining room was rather full, plenty of couples and families. Were they locals or tourists, I wondered?

Opting for a more secluded table by the fireplace we read the rather ominous and anonymous phrase carved into the lintel – “fear knocked at the door, faith answered, no one was there”.  No one seems to know who penned the phrase, but since the building dates front the early 1500’s it can only be an Elizabethan thought.

I can only imagine that it was an invitation to drink champagne! We ordered a beautiful dry, soft bubbled, English Camel Valley Brut, from Cornwall.

The menu is tempting, so we ordered a starter, Cod Brandade, whilst considering our options. Mouth watering!

Finally deciding to stay traditional we decided on the Oxtail & Kidney Pudding and the Chicken, Ham & Leek Pie with wholegrain mustard cream and mashed potatoes. Apparently, no meal at a Blumenthal restaurant is complete without ordering his famous triple fried chips. I agree, they are phenomenal!

After such a satisfying lunch I couldn’t be tempted to a desert, and so opted for a walk instead. Just around the corner, down to the Thames, before heading off for the rest of the day.

Give it a try one sunny day, it’s delightful.