Adrian's Miscellany

The Old Smithy, Beeley

2010-01-02T16:33:00.014Z

The Tea Shop Guide is dead (and long removed from my web-site) so here is a start on the new Tea Shop Guide.

The Old Smithy at Beeley (see Google Map), is just south of Chatsworth Park and describes itself as a Shop and Licensed Cafe, it is certainly a good stop for lunch, or just coffee (and possibly, just possibly, Lemon Meringue Pie).

There are several links on the web (including http://www.peakdistrictonline.co.uk/peak-district-food-drink-the-old-smithy-licensed-cafe-beeley/l740.html) but here are some details (abstracted and abridged from the above link (with apologies to the author)) ...

The Old Smithy, Chapel Hill, Beeley, DE4 2NR, 01629 734666

The Old Smithy is situated in the picturesque village of Beeley on the Chatsworth estate. Sue and Neil Chatterton took over in April 2007. The shop (opens 9am-5pm everyday except Wednesday) sells delicious homemade bread and cakes from a sister company St Clements Bakery. We also have a selection of locally produced goods :- bacon, eggs, milk, jam, chocolates, honey and beer, basic essentials and newspapers available too.

Our licensed comfortable cafe (open 10am-4pm except Wednesdays) serves freshly prepared wholesome foods, breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea using local ingredients where possible. Portions are generous and we take great pride in giving truly homemade produce. Lunch includes soup, Neil's pate, cold, hot or posh sandwiches on our own breads, and regularly changing hot and cold specials with irresistible scones, cakes and puddings.

We have a good selection of fair-trade coffees. Teas are served from china cups. Service here is always with a smile and children are very welcome with games, books and colouring to keep them busy, any of the meals are available as child’s portions .
The cafe seats 35 with a lovely sunny patio in front (further 25) and garden to the rear with a view over the Derwent valley.

St Clements bakery goods can be purchased from various Farmers Markets locally.

We can also provide outside catering for dinner parties to christenings and buffets.

..... What more can I say - I can certainly vouch for the food, and the service, and we often pick up a St. Clements loaf and an Apple Pie at the Bakewell Farmers Market ... but that deserves its own posting! In the cafe, make sure you look at the blackboards above the counter (not that you need to linger there, they come and take the order at your table! We often go for the Salmon especially if they have it with Dauphinoise Potatoes - Oh dear, I'm getting hungry!

On-street parking is not always easy around lunchtime, especially at weekends. (I would never dream of suggesting that people might park in the pub car park then sneak off for lunch at a nearby 'licensed cafe'! - would I?)

Something a bit 'different' in Dronfield Woodhouse

2007-06-09T13:19:00.000Z

If you want to try something 'different' you could go to The Farmhouse Pantry at Dronfield Woodhouse - its on Barnes Lane, just off Stubley Lane (S18 8YE ) - they don't have a web site, they are probably too busy running the shop.

Its run by the Gill family who also have a farm up on the moors behind Chatsworth where they graze their 350 Buffalo. The shop sells their Buffalo meat as well as the more usual beef, lamb, pork, etc.

Their sausages are (IMHO) the best around. Too many butchers add too much seasoning - here you can still taste the meat - and don't expect lots of fat to drain out as you cook them. Our favourite is the Pork and Roast Onion - with the Pork and Tomato a close second.

Their pies are also good - I like the Steak and Stilton - and their Cornish Pasties are well worth a try (they don't just taste of pepper like many do). But the best are the fruit pies - Apple or Apple and Blackberry are both pretty good!!

Oh and expect a queue on Saturdays!

Donna Nook Seals

2006-12-12T19:02:00.004Z

There are already lots of posts on people's Blogs showing pictures of the seals at Donna Nook in Lincolnshire, just down from Cleethorpes. Here are a few more - 4 of the several hundred taken over the week we were there at the end of November. We were staying in a cottage at North Somercoates - Nursery Cottage at Meals Farm - you will pass it if you go to see the seals - we can recommend it!

According to the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust web-site, there were 1036 pups at the last count (10 Dec 2006), beating last years record. I think one of the wardens said that last year (or the year before) the last pup was born on Christmas Day. If you are thinking of going to see them, the older pups will now be starting to head out to sea, driven by hunger since their mum's will have abandoned them to their own devices. By mid January the beach will be empty - I'm told its a bit smelly for quite a while.

If you do go, its best to go mid-week - less traffic and people - but even at week-ends there is parking in a farmers field at a small charge. Do look out for the one-way system (straight up to Stonebridge car-park then clockwise round the block) - meeting a 4x4 coming the other way can mean one of you is going 'off road' (and it ain't always the 4x4!). Friday and week-ends do have the advantage of excellent burgers and coffee on sale in the Stonebridge car-park.

Wrap up warm and check the LWT site for dos and don'ts.
(Check out Eating in Cleethorpes for somewhere interesting just up the road.)

Eating in Cleethorpes

2006-12-10T14:26:00.000Z

A couple of weeks ago we were in Lincolnshire to see the seals at Donna Nook (more on that later when I sort out the photos - see Donna Nook Seals) and during the week we went into Cleethorpes. On our last visit we ate up in the town, but Hilary remembered seeing a place down on the prom by the pier, so we parked overlooking the beach and went for a walk.

What we found was Boaters Beach. If you expect a restaurant on the prom next to the pier to be greasy chips and inedible burgers, think again! Their web site describes it as 'a unique eating experience in beautiful surroundings - right on the beach in Cleethorpes, N.E. Lincolnshire' - it ain't wrong. The special that day was 'beef casserole in a crusty cob with fried potatoes' (see pic) - it was in fact a small crusty loaf scooped out and filled with beef and veg. The beef gave in when it saw a knife. If there was a negative comment to make, it was that they had been slightly heavy with pepper for Hilary. Hilary had ordered it, but I had gone for the Fisherman's Platter. So I enjoyed her casserole and Hilary tucked into my Platter.

Good food, good price, nice place, and friendly staff who were interested in what they were doing - and that is a strong plus sign.

An excellent Farm Shop near Wakefield

2006-12-10T13:47:00.000Z

Here goes - my first post in anger on this Blog!

Some years ago I produced a 'Tea Shop' Guide which is still on my web site (see my profile) but which is now woefully out of date and hedged round with caveats. One thing I want to do with this Blog is to record new (and some old) places to that we have found to shop and to eat, and to give my comments and thoughts (mostly positive! but sometimes not so good).

I'll start with a VERY GOOD Farm Shop that we have used ever since it opened in 1999 - Blacker Hall Farm Shop, just off Denby Dale Road outside Wakefield (Links to Google Map showing Blacker Hall and to their own site). I hope they won't mind me linking to their logo!!

The meat is excellent and much of it is produced on their own farm. The baking is wonderful and if you look though the door by the tills you can see it being produced. OK they do also stock the usual 'select' products from well known names such as Tyrells (crisps), Innocent (smoothies), and others that are now the standard for many 'farm' shops, but they still major on what is produced in-house and locally. They won the 'Best Farm Shop in England' title this year which they added to the 'Best in Yorkshire' for the previous two years and the 'Best Roast Beef in England' in 2004.

Worth a journey - its what I call a 'two basket' farm shop - since we get there only infrequently (we no longer do the 60 mile round trip to see Mum-in-law) we usually end up filling two baskets.

My only gripe is that they no longer seem to be producing their excellent Sausage Plait!

The latest news (dropped into conversation by the young lady at the till) is that they now have planning permission to open a cafe upstairs. Watch this space!