What Could You Get From A Six Course Tasting Menu At The Harrow At Little Bedwyn Restaurant?

A six course tasting menu at The Harrow at Little Bedwyn - what will you get? Celebrating a family engagement, we drove two hours from London to the Harrow Restaurant in Little Bedwyn, Wiltshire, leaving London before five pm on a Saturday afternoon, for their six course tasting dinner. We had allowed time for delays on the motorways and before 7 pm, early, in the light.

In case you don't know, I am the jolly blonde at the right of the picture. You might also notice the pleasing pink Champagne, the subtle strawberry colour soup in small shot glasses, the candle glowing on the table, the clean white fabric tablecloths, the artwork on the peachy walls.


The Harrow (restaurant) at Little Bedwyn, Wiltshire. Pink Champagne and small glasses of cold soup whose ingredients are strawberry and watermelon. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Every year for a special occasion, when the restaurant has a special fixed price menu, we drive out to see them. It sounds a long way but we always find it is worth the journey.
Three miles from Hungerford with its thatched houses, you turn into a narrow lane between fields, under the trees, twisting left and right, narrower and narrower, until you reach an area of remote small houses.


The church of Little Bedwyn in rural Wiltshire, England. Photo from Wikipedia.

Service With Smiles
We were greeted as we walked in the front door by two or three of the girls wearing black tee-shirts with the name of the restaurant, neatly matching. Easy to work out who is a guest, who is serving, who is the owner, Sue.

Relaxing Atmosphere
The atmosphere is understated and quiet. You are in the middle of the countryside. Not a car for miles.

Previously, at lunch time, we have sat in a half empty restaurant. If you can get an off season lunchtime meal at a reduced price that is better for your budget. Bright light in the front room at lunch time is good if you want to see the food and photograph every morsel.

However, I prefer dinner on a Saturday night when the place is full. That is better for feeling warm and cosy.

I sat facing Riedel decanters. Curved and elegant. After typing Riedel I went back to the glass manufacturer's sales website check the spelling. How do I remember whether it is ei or ie? Same as the English spelling saying, i before e, except after c.

Whilst we waited for the food to arrive, we commented that the sound level was just right. Enough carpeting to stop that deafening echo you get from the tiles in Italian restaurants.

On the corridor walls are numerous photos of their awards. Also unusual paintings for sale, animals in bright colours.

Toilets
The toilets are soothing. Yes, just right.

I photographed the long mirror, but found I could not escape my own reflection. I dodged about to get the phone out of the picture. So handy to have a long mirror, to check you look okay, head to toe, hemline straight.

Angela's selfie with the long mirror.

In the long mirror you can see the reflection of the round mirror. (By my design - I chose a photo which shows the other mirror.)

Only when I got home did I discover that the round mirror's glass pieces had turned my reflection into a Picasso style picture with the nose and eyes at different angles.

Angela in the round mirror.

Twinned toilets. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

The toilets are twinned with toilets overseas. Always something amusing.

The menu and drinks and first course of food come up fast.

Drinks
You can order a flight of matching glasses of wine at two prices.
Or pink sparkling Champagne for a toast.
If you don't drink alcohol, or are driving, there are organic juices, mocktails, sake and cider.

Freshly baked bread. Photo by Angela Lansbury

Bread
Our first course was crusty bread with a soft center and two small circles of hummus and a truffle butter. Bread has to be just right. It was just right.

Soup
Next was a tiny shot glass of cold soup, a mixture of flavours. Called gazpacho, which is a Spanish or Portuguese cold vegetable soup. I mixed it up in my mind with Vichyssoise, which is French potato and onion soup, and French bouillabaisse, which is fish soup, but gazpacho, in the original version and in the Harrow version had no fish in it. Perfect.

English feta (cheese) with salted cherries. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Fish
Next was fish, Cornish turbot. Slightly chewy fish on first mouthful but by mouthful three I was into the additions of girolles (mushrooms) and Perigord truffles.

Main Course Meat And Alternatives
For main course I had lamb. How do they manage to make it pink but perfectly soft and edible, yet with a crunchy edge? We debated this.


Main course. Lamb. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

I loved the egg with soldiers. I have eaten this twice before. This time they added some salt to both the biscuit and the egg. What is the middle? Mango puree?

Surprise 'egg' with (biscuit) soldier

Although the first time you see it, you are more surprised, I don't mind a spoiler. Neither for food nor films. I watch movies about the Titanic, and World War II. I know the ending, but I still enjoy the action. Can't get enough of it. When it comes to food, knowing what it looks like does not destroy the joy of eating the food. You have to taste it. You have to try it. The recipe has changed from the time we first tried it. Now the biscuit and the egg have a touch of saltiness offsetting and enhancing the sweetness.

Too much sugar? The egg is not the end. After that we had teeny tastes of strawberries.
I was allowed to taste the wine from the Optional Premium wines, Casa Silva Late Harvest Semillon Gewurttraminer 2017, from Colchagua Valley Chile. Chile is the country which runs, snakes, down the west coast of South America separated from the rest by a string of mountains. Chile, not too chilly, not too hot, warm enough for vines.

Diet
Our group included one person who was eating no shellfish. That's me. Another was eating no shellfish and no meat. The restaurant discussed the food choices on the phone a few days in advance and were able to change the meat to aubergine and the fish to a different fish.

Coffee And Chocolates
The choices are regular or decaff coffee. Two people ordered coffee and it appeared with two chocolate balls on sticks. The four of us looked at the two chocolates. That happens so often in restaurants. Also in hotels, somebody left without a chocolate. When you are paying a lot of money to celebrate togther you don't want to be end your day arguing over who has the chocolate. A moment later, two more chocolates appeared.

At the end we had no leftovers to take home. The portion sizes of the meal were judged just right. We felt full enough but not over-full.

All we have to take home is memories. Memories fixed by photographs.

The young couple said, "It was a great meal, much better than a Michelin star restaurant we visited in London."

Tables
On previous occasions we have sat in the front room. On this visit we had a round table for four in the back room. I much prefer the back room. Fewer distractions of staff and diners coming and going. Fewer diners who are near enough to distract you whilst not actually being near enought to get into conversation.

Getting There
We set the satnav. Nothing much to see en route. You listen to your radio or talk.

We knew we were nearby when we arrived at Hungerford and drove past the historic Bear Inn, where we once stayed the night. Hungerford is in Berkshire, whilst Little Bedwyn is just across the county border in Wiltshire, near Wales from where some of the food is sourced. English lamb or Welsh lamb?

According to the men in our foursome, and the restaurant's own website, and reviews on Tripadvisor, photos of Welsh Rugby teams are in the restaurant's gents toilet. The restaurant is run by Sue and Roger. Roger is the cook and when he is away visiting his suppliers or judging contests his team cook and serve up his menus. He writes for Decanter magazine. The wine menu is quite a good novelty read, too. The wines are listd by style and grape rather than country. That suits me, as I am looking for white or rose wines and sparkling wines.

If you arrive in the restaurant area before lunch time you can visit the farm shop nearby, but at gone six pm on a summer Saturday evening the shop complex was already closed. So we turned around and drove back to the restaurant. Just as well, we had spent enough for one day on food and wine.

What it cost:
60 pounds sterling per person for the six course dinner. Optional matched tasting wines, four for 25 pounds per person. (Or 40 pounds per person for premium wines, but we sent one of them back and tried the basic wine which was better.) I always think if there is a choice of two food or wine set menus, you should choose one of each. Then you reduce the cost, double the variety, and halve the risk of getting something you do not like.

Useful Websites
The Harrow At Little Bedwyn
Little Bedwyn
https://www.theharrowatlittlebedwyn.com/about/
https://www.riedel.com/en-ie/features-promotions/collections/hand-made/hand-made-decanters

About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Fresh Fish From The Lobster Pot

Problem
Fresh fish - affordable fish or special fish?

Answer
Next door to Cobbs Farm shop, as usual we stepped into The Lobster Pot to check the available fish. Nowadays whether you are in restaurant or fishmongers or supermarket, Dover sole is expensive (because it is rare) and lemon sole cheaper but still not cheap.

We opted to buy plaice. We were served by fishmonger Keith Morgan. We spotted that the name Morgan is Welsh, the name Keith is Welsh, but he is English.

Another branch of his shop is in Swindon.

I picked up the business card. On the back of the Lobster Card with ten copies of the picture of a lobster. When it is full, says the car, you get a free special offer fish of £5 off your next purchase. We had forgotten to get our card marked. However, if you only visit once a year, it would take you ten years to earn your free fish and you'd have to remember your card and hope they didn't discontinue the card. (I am a keen loyalty card collector.)

If you are a regular, and go every week, ask if the loyalty card is still operating.

The card says they are open for fish Tuesday-Sunday.
The Lobster Pot
Cobbs Farm Shop, Bath Road, Hungerford RG17 OSP.
Tel:01488 688311.

Pumpkins and Papples at Cobbs Farm Shop

We visit Cobbs Farm Shop on our way to the Harrow at Little Bedwyn where we eat at least once a year. Cobb Farm Shop is always crammed with interesting things to eat and buy.

Pumpkins provided at eye catching display this autumn.

They also had a table of pumpkins to buy, classified by size. Drop them on the hole to find the size.

Want to practise carving pumpkins and raise money or give money to charity. Here's one of their posters to inspire you.

Pumpkin carving event 24th-28th October 2016. The pumpkins are 'Home-grown from farm to shop. You won't find them fresher,' their leaflet says.

P A P P L E S

Among the novelties I saw were p a p p l e s. I have had to insert spaces because the keen spell checker keeps rushing to change the word back to apples. I looked up p a p p l e s and found they are apples, which look like apples, but taste like pears with the usual juiciness of pears.

I didn't buy them on this visit. They seemed a bit expensive. However, if you need something to take to tea or dinner at a friend's or to give to a friend, especially 'somebody who has everything', this could be the answer.

We bought several vegetables and bottled products. I signed up for their loyalty card last time we visited. I took it out of my pocket when I went on my last overseas trip. However, the Cobbs Farm shop had my details on their computer and were happy to give me my loyalty discount so I was very pleased.

The complex also contains various areas, the Café, a batcher, a fishmonger, delicatessen, florist, vineyard, PYO (pick your own) and Play Barn.

Cobb Farm Shop and Kitchen
Bath Road
Hungerford
Berkshire
RG17 OSP
Tel:01488 686 770
email cobs@cobbsfarmshop.co.uk
www.cobbsfarmshop.co.uk

Huntingdon and Hungerford

Rem - which is which? Both begin with the letters Hun, and have a g in the middle, and the letters o and d further along the word.

Hungerford is west of London, along the M4 which runs west, near the Haro restaurant and Cobbs Farm which has a supermarket of farm produce and a cafe. Hungerford was unfortunately in the news for the Hungerford massacre a few years ago. Long before that it was a stop on the old road, and has a fine old pub which is a historic hotel. If you are hungry go the expensive gourmet restaurant The Haro at Little Bedwyn.

Huntingdon, however, is north of London, near the university city of Cambridge on the river Cam.
See my next post about the coffee and restaurant of the hotel on the bridge at Huntingdon. Hunting for students?

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, speaker and author. 

The Pelican Inn, Froxfield, Wiltshire, and Delightful Ducks

The Pelican inn is easy to find on the old London to Bath main road, now the A4, with parking conveniently both sides. Froxfield, not fox field but Froxfield. I like to think of maidens in frocks photographed against a backdrop field, not noticing the watching fox. The village is between Hungerford (unfortunately well known for the modern times Hungerford massacre), and Marlborough, known to most as the name of school, to some as the name of a brand of cigarettes.

Froxfield's the Pelican is a free house with wifi and its leaflet claims that it attracts walkers. It is also on the little of venues for overnight stays for those indulging in the nearby Michelin starred restaurant The Harrow, which has an interesting wine cellar and holds dinners with talks by visitors from vineyards as far away as Australia, which is what attracted my family to the area.

The Pelican inn takes its name from the Pelican omnibus which used to stop outside the door. We stopped and parked in one of the two car parks on either side.
Walk into the inn and there's reception in the centre between the bar and the open sided restaurant room.
The place is small, fewer than ten dining tables downstairs, probably because there are fewer than ten bedrooms upstairs.
Yes, it's an old inn, with old beams and creaking floors.

I puffed anxiously up the steep staircase, clinging on to the left hand wooden handrail, fearing endless stairs, but there's only one staircase.
We three had booked two bedrooms. Bedroom numbers go up to eight, so three of us occupied a quarter of the rooms. Statistically that makes me a pretty good inspector. I chose the room overlooking the duck pond. Not sure whether the pond links to the stream, but the ducks soon sailed into view of my busy mobile phone camera lens.

In the basic bathrooms I pounded gleefully on the cute complimentary shower get and other liquids - but found no soap.I realised that those clumpsy looking (sic) Victorian taps with the cross tops are the handiest things to turn if you don't know left from right and can't remember whether taps go clockwise or anti-clockwise. I  needed a firm wrench at it because I sealed it tight by turning the wrong way.

The room is small which explains the tiny double beds which leave more room to walk around. Visual appeal provided by cute cushions. British hotels tend to go for bland decor.
 If you like healthy food and fresh milk, you will enjoy the thermos of fresh milk on the tea tray. I've found that only in a two or three hotels in a lifetime of travelling worldwide. So, if you hate sachets of long life so called milk, you will instantly enthuse about the bedroom facilities.

 My family booked two rooms. Mama gets to choose. I wanted the one overlooking the back garden, tree tops seen when you lie on the bed, and duck pond viewed on tiptoe from the window.
Duck pond? Where are the ducks. Just an immobile statue. Ah - as I watched a duck sailed into view and I clicked my mobile phone camera.

Next morning I was glad to learn that the front bedroom overlooking the road did not keep anybody awake at night. Our sound sleeper said if you live in Hendon or Notting Hill, you expect to be woken once a week by drunks, fights, emergency vehicles, and learn to go back to sleep and ignore any noise. That's right.

It's a good thing I was not still lurching drunk at dawn next morning, facing the steep descent down the stairs, with only one fixed solid handrail stuck to the wall, now on my other side. One member of my family is right-handed, another left-handed, so that handrail could not please everybody.
But at the bottom of the stairs I was greeted by a welcome sight facing me, breakfast was ready, already, the table of cereals.

From my dining table I ducked down to look through the fireplace to the bar area beyond. Well-spoken regulars sat near us, but no need to ask them what to do in the area. I'd already read the leaflets telling me that the local attraction was a windmill. No more clutter - no more leaflets!
We saw a signpost to the windmill and followed it but soon got lost in winding roads one car wide. I wished I'd taken the inn's leaflet on the windmill and its postcode. So I've mentally saved the windmill as something  to see on another visit to the nearby Harrow restaurant at Little Bedwyn.

The Pelican inn's bill is a good antidote to the pricey prices of your dinner round the corner for celebrations such as an anniversary at the Harrow. Last time we splurged on the Harrow we stayed overnight at The Bear in Hungerford. The Bear is bigger,  more of an all jumping hotel, but the Pelican offers a nearer and good value alternative.
I never saw the windmill, nor a pelican, only a few ducks.
Quack, quack, quack, I'll go back.

But wait - there's more - about the pelican and the ducks. After enjoying a sniff of the aromatic mandarin and bargamot shampoo bottle, I took a last look at the little 30 ml bottle in the revealing bright light of day.
I noticed the black silhouette of a pelican on the front. Another pelican was raised in relief on the cap.
The title DUCK ISLAND was printed sideways. By dint of a squint, holding the bottle up against a white background, I discovered in small print the website: www.duckisland.co.uk

The bottle gives the toiletries company address as
Duck Island Ltd
51 Queen Anne Street
London W1G 9HS.

More details about

The Pelican inn from
www.pelicanann.co.uk
www.facebook.com/pelicaninnfroxfield
The Pelican Inn, 
Bath Road, 
Froxfield, 
Marlborough, 
Wiltshire 
SN8 3JY. 
Tel: 01488 682479.
Angela Lansbury BA Hons is the author of twenty books on travel, etiquette, public speaking and comic poetry. She is a member of two Toastmasters International speakers' clubs, also on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.