Eat Out to Help Out - Find out who is Offering 50% Discount in August 2020

Orangery Tea Room, Battle, East Sussex

Do you feel ready to join in with the Government's August scheme to help boost spending within the hospitality sector? From the friends I have spoken to, this scheme feels like a mixed blessing. On the one hand, they are keen to get out and have a meal, enjoying a sense of normality in this strange time, but on the other, they can be fearful that too much of a sense of normality is what will lead to a rise again in cases of coronavirus.

I've been out for a couple of meals since restaurants were allowed to re-open again at the beginning of July and personally I have found them to be fine. We booked for a time we knew would be less busy and found there is excellent distancing between the tables and considerate servers. So, for us, we will be joining in with this scheme and enjoy taking advantage of 50% off food and non-alcoholic drinks at participating businesses.

I felt it was apt to be organised, as all restaurants have less capacity than normal and booking is encouraged for most good restaurants, so I have booked for one night a week to try out a few new places and have some (hopefully) really enjoyable meals. My husband said to me to book for the ones that are normally more expensive and we might avoid, as this gives us an affordable way to try them out.

Fantastic Family Time at Harvester Restaurants

JJ hits the ripe old age of 15 in a couple of weeks and his favourite celebratory thing to do is eat, so when Harvester invited us to the Horse and Groom in Polegate, East Sussex we jumped at the chance. I'll be honest, our family used to be loyal Harvester customers but about five years ago they had a menu overhaul and we stopped going as we didn't like the changes. With this in mind and another new menu, I was keen to go and see what Harvester could offer our family of five nowadays.

I won't beat around the bush, we had a great meal at the Harvester. None of us had been to the Horse and Groom before and it is a super venue, there are a few different seating areas, all with modern furnishings and lights, so different to the Harvester of my childhood when there were pitchforks on the walls! There were still the classic elements to remind me I was in a Harvester, like the salad bar, help yourself fresh bread rolls, open fronted kitchen and rotisserie chicken cabinet.

On arrival at the Horse and Groom we were greeted quickly by Mo and he asked if we wanted a children's menu. I questioned if the girls could have it as they are 11 and it suggests on the website that it is for 10 years and younger but Mo, said it was fine and the portion sizes should be suitable too. This was great to hear as the £5.99 price tag for a meal, drink and dessert is fabulous.

Mo then suggested my girls would be too old for colouring but I knew that at least one of them would want it, so we had a laugh about how hard it is to judge children, as Mo said many turn their noses up at his offer of the kiddie activity bag and crayons.

We were shown to a small area with just three tables and one was occupied when we arrived but by the time we left it was just us. Everywhere felt very clean and taken care of and its always nice when you can see into the kitchen and the chefs are in fresh whites.

We choose our drinks and all went for the same option of help yourself soda. My girls love this as it means they can add flavours like vanilla, peach and cherry to their Pepsi, lemonade or Robinsons squash. I personally just like the straight Diet Pepsi and it is good to have the option to refill as many times as I like for £2.90.

Review: Dining at The Lamb Inn, Pevensey Marsh, East Sussex

Thanks to Vintage Inns for the image

I've lived in East Sussex for coming on five years now and The Lamb Inn at Hooe, or Pevensey Marsh as they call it is a pub that I've heard a lot about. When I've asked the question 'where is good to eat locally?' I've had the The Lamb Inn recommended quite a number of times before and as such I have no idea why I have never been there.

My husband has been there before for a leaving do and he said it was great too and it was with this in mind that I said a very quick yes when I was asked to come and try out the new menus and check out the pub after a recent refurbishment. The Lamb Inn is part of the Vintage Inns chain, which I knew from when we lived in Herts and used to frequent a couple of their pub restaurants there.

Our family (minus JJ as he was working) headed over to the Lamb Inn for Saturday lunch. Despite it being a very miserable and grey February day the building is still beautiful and you can tell parts of it date back to 1084, where it got a mention in the Doomsday book as a shepherds cottage. Then in 1520 the cottage became an inn and there was a charter decreed to allow shepherds to bring their sick lambs in to warm by the fire. My girls were enthralled to learn this little piece of history about where we were to eat our lunch.

Feeling Welcomed
As soon as we entered the building we were greeted by a lady serving behind the bar. It was good to get such prompt attention as she was already busy with a customer but it gave an indication that customer satisfaction is important to the staff at the lamb Inn. Within just a couple of minutes Sarah came over to greet us and show us to our table and she was our waitress for the whole meal and what a great one she was. I'd definitely employ her.

I think they have done a really great job refurbishing the pub, it looks clean, well appointed and is very comfortable. There is nothing stark or corporate about it, it has a very homely feel with each table being a little different and the chairs being mismatched but equally comfy. There are two distinct sections to the pub with the area to the left of the bar being much more light and open plan and the part we went in to was full of character with lower ceiling beams and plenty of cosy nooks.

Review: Saltdean Tavern Stonehouse Restaurant, Brighton

On Saturday night my husband and I headed over to Saltdean, Brighton to try out the newly refurbished Saltdean Tavern. The restaurant has recently been re-branded as a Stonehouse restaurant specialising in pizzas and carvery roasts. My first thought was that this was an odd combination but actually upon being in the restaurants and seeing the breadth of the menu and all the big family and friends tables I could understand that there is logic in having opposites as the attraction it it means everyone in your party can be satisfied and enjoy their meal out.

First Impressions

The restaurant is situated behind the old Saltdean Lido, which is currently being renovated (over a very long term and with a few tricky issues) so the location is super easy to get to and there is tons of well-lit parking. The outside looks really smart and there is lovely wooden play equipment for the kids, I know mine would love it and we'll come back in the warmer months to enjoy the local area and a meal there.

As you enter the building you have a bar area to the left and restaurant to the right and the refurbishment is lovely. The decor looks really smart and very welcoming. You can see the chefs working in the pizza preparation area as you arrive and that looks very inviting. There is also a salad bar, carvery and ice cream factory on show too.

We arrived about 8.15pm, a quarter of an hour after our reservation but this wasn't an issue to the restaurant, which made us feel at ease. When we arrived there was not a clearly defined welcome area so we just stood in the entrance and waited and a waitress took the initiative to approach us. We told her we had a reservation and she checked this out and took us to a marked table. There was plenty of space in the restaurant area and between the tables so you could feel relaxed but the floor was full of crumbs and the menus were sticky from split soft drinks and beers. So our first impression was a bit mixed to be honest.

Review: Lunch at Jamie's Italian Trattoria, Tunbridge Wells

Our family love to go out together and enjoy some good food and it is always nice to try somewhere new and explore a new town too. So last Thursday we headed into Kent to Tunbridge Wells to have a browse and also lunch at Jamie's Italian Trattoria. Now obviously we all know the Jamie Oliver name but none of us were familiar with this restaurant concept so we were excited to try it out, especially as my twin girls really love pasta.

We were pleased to see that Jamie's Italian Trattoria is an easy walk from the train station in Tunbridge Wells. It is situated on the High Street between the main shopping mall and the more up-market Pantiles area. The high street is a great one to browse along as there are loads of very nice shops to both look in and also just window shop.

Jamie's Italian Trattoria was easy to find with double shop frontage and it looked very authentic Italian from outside, when you go inside it is heavily themed and very pleasant but we couldn't really put our finger on what style we thought they had gone for. There are exposed ceilings, paintings on walls made to look old, exposed pipe work and lots of sanded wood - my husband commented it looked almost Cuban and I could see where he was coming from.

Every Day is a Roast Day for this Family - Toby Carvery Review #ManicMumDay

We all know that Mums generally lead a busy life and let's be honest many dads do as well. Recent research commissioned by Toby Carvery showed that most mums do not get to sit down on an evening until 8.07pm and I think on average this is probably about right, although some nights it is closer to 9pm!

It is for this reason that Toby Carvery offered my family and I to go along to our local restaurant (which in our case is Willingdon Drove, Eastbourne) on a week night and enjoy a meal that is cooked for us and involves no washing or clearing up. Result!

We booked a table using the online booking system, which is super easy and I have to confess that I have no idea you could book a table for Toby nowadays, as you never used to be able to. I was very aware from the start that the email confirmation (and reminder emailed to me the day before the reservation) stated that the table would only be held for 10 minutes from the reservation time and thus we arrived promptly.

Enjoy a Leisurely Meal at the Treacle Mine, Polegate, East Sussex

It was my birthday on Saturday and seeing as we were heading off on holiday at 6am I wasn't quite sure what we would end up doing that day or if we would have the energy to celebrate, so Friday night we headed out as a family to the newly refurbished Treacle Mine Whitbread Inn at Polegate, about half hour from our East Sussex Home.

Now let me tell you straight off in case you are tight for time or can't be bothered to read on.  If you are local then go and visit. It was busy and it didn't matter one bit, we had a fabulous meal and didn't feel rushed or crowded.

Zizzi Bournemouth - a fabulous meal!

Earlier this week on holiday we were lucky enough to enjoy a meal at the Zizzi restaurant in Bournemouth and it was excellent. Now if you know my blog you’ll know that I do not just say that lightly or because it was a complimentary review meal, I’m not afraid to call it as it is and to tell you the good and the bad.

I’ve not been to a Zizzi before and I’m not sure why as I do generally like the chain pizza/ pasta restaurants and we visit places like Prezzo, Ask and Pizza Express fairly regularly. I’m happy to say we now have another option as I’d most definitely go to a Zizzi again, there are a few things on their menu that are just that bit different and that makes it interesting. JJ also announced that his pizza was to die for and he wants to go back and the person that really surprised me was my Dad. He is quite an old-fashioned chap and likes things to be pretty simple and as he expects and he announced that the Zizzi spaghetti bolognese was ‘out of this world’, his words, not mine. High accolade indeed.

Let me tell you a bit more about our meal -

Arrival and the Restaurant

Zizzi is easy to find on Richmond Hill and there is good visible red signage and a seating area outside for Al Fresco dining which is nice when the weather is good. On entering the restaurant it was busy at 6.15pm on a Wednesday evening and there was a nice buzz in the restaurant. Our table was reserved for 6pm and I apologised for our lateness but it did not appear to be a problem. We were given a booth that easily seated the six of us, down by the open air kitchen and the kids enjoyed watching everyone in the restaurant and seeing what the chefs were up to. The décor in the restaurant is fresh and modern and it all looks in good condition.

Service

All our service was done by Ellie and she was excellent; attentive and very friendly. Nothing seemed too much trouble for her and she offered to take a group photo for us and I saw her charging someone else’s mobile for them. All the little bits that are often missed, like changing cutlery, offering more drinks, clearing bottles and checking how your food is were done and with a big smile.

For a busy service time we probably waited the sort of time I would expect. We arrived in the restaurant at about 6.15pm and ordered our food about 6.30pm after receiving drinks and having a good look at the menus. Within 10 minutes we had the kid’s starter and garlic bread on our table and then just after 7pm our main courses arrived. We ordered dessert at 7.25pm and left the restaurant about 7.50pm, so it was only 1.5 hours for a 3 course meal at a busy time, I think that is good going Zizzi.

Adult Menu         

Being sensible we knew that we would not be able to fit everything in so we just ordered some garlic bread to start and it was a really good sized portion for £3.95.

The adult menu had a wide selection of pizza, pasta and also other main courses. Both my parents went for a pasta dish and I fancied something a bit different and had a Zizzi Spiedini, which was a Mediterranean hanging chicken and vegetable kebab. This was served with Tuscan potatoes and a lemon and white wine sauce, which was thick and creamy and I loved it. The Rigatoni Carbonara is £9.75, the spaghetti bolognese is £8.95 and the spiedini is £13.25 and I added a side of long stem broccoli to mine, which was another £3.00. These prices are pretty much on a par with similar restaurants I think.

We were all temped to have desserts after our main courses but found that actually the dessert menu did not inspire us as much as we might have liked. My Dad decided not to have anything and Mum went for a lemon meringue sundae which I was surprised about as she is not an ice cream person. I had an Espresso Affogato which is not something I’d normally choose but I often find that is when you find the best things. It was lovely to pour my hot espresso on my vanilla ice cream and enjoy it with the crushed amaretti biscuits. Desserts ranged between £4.95 to £5.95.

Bambini Kids Menu

My three children all ate from the Bambini menu, which is £6.75 for three courses and a Chocacino. The price includes carrot, cucumber and dough sticks to start and there was definitely enough vegetables but there was only one dough stick, about the size of a finger and they were all disappointed with this and felt there should have been more. So they were pleased I had ordered some garlic bread for the table as this was large enough to feed us all.

The main course was a really good size pizza or pasta portion and they all enjoyed this a lot. As part of this new menu kids can either choose up to 2 pizza toppings or you can create your own with a margherita pizza and a little pot of mini plum tomatoes, black olives and a slice of ham. The pizza was big enough for my large 10 year olds appetite which I was impressed with. He was a bit miffed though that the sausage meat was slightly spicy and the menu had not stated this, perhaps something to highlight as kids order. I also like the fact you can add green beans or long stem broccoli for an extra 50p, nice to see a restaurant offering some greens.

The dessert on offer for kids was ice cream or ice cream which seemed a bit limited. Yes the ice cream (or should I say gelato) was good and two of my kids really enjoyed the Bambini cones, where you get two small scoops of vanilla, 2 mini sugar cones and a tray of chocolate covered popping candy.

At the end the children also have a mini chocacino included but actually forgot to order these and left without them – silly us!  I’m sure they would have been very good though as my Mum had a Cappuccino and that was very good and the presentation glass was a nice touch.

Overall restaurant experience

As soon as we were seated the kids were given a children’s menu which include some room for drawing and a few fun activities to do. There was also a chef’s hat for them to decorate and stickers to do that with. Zizzi have partnered with Crayola recently and my children were impressed to be given twistable crayons to use for their colouring and fun. The children were impressed to read that their creation could be given to the restaurant and then they would be added into a monthly prize draw to win a meal and Crayola goodie bag.

We found the noise level in the restaurant to be fine and we felt happy and cosy in our booth. It was quite warm at times but the heat outside was 26 degrees so to be expected I suppose. I’m not sure there was air conditioning in the restaurant but it certainly was not too hot. The toilets are upstairs and were well presented and clean, it is always good to find cubicles that are large enough for parents to go in with their children, especially when you have twins like me.

What would I improve?

In the main we had an excellent meal and I’d happily visit again but if I could give any feedback to Zizzi as a brand it would be to ensure the kids starter had at least 2 or 3 dough sticks in it and also I’d say your dessert menus are a bit ice cream heavy. Where is the cheesecake for the adults and a different option for the children?

With regard to Bournemouth restaurant the only thing I could say was to make sure side dishes come out at the same time as main courses as my broccoli was probably about ten minutes later than my main course but I was still eating and it did not spoil my meal at all.

Thank you very much Zizzi we had a lovely time and hope to come and visit you again soon.

Disclosure: We received a complimentary meal for the purpose of writing this review. I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.

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Messy fun with the kids at Pizza Express

All kids love to get their hands in some flour and get a bit messy, don't they?

Mine certainly do and cooking at home (especially with Daddy) is one of my kids favourite activities, bearing this in mind you won't be surprised to hear they had a ball at a London Pizza Express last Saturday, along with some other bloggers and their children making pizza from scratch.

Pizza Express are relacnching their new Piccolo menu on 30th April 2013. It has had its biggest refresh since its introduction seven years ago and I have to say I like the changes. I start with the bad news, well bad from the point of view of my 9 year old JJ - there are no more dough balls with Nutella available for dessert. Of course as a mother interested in good nutritious food then I am not too worried about that.  The super delicious (I kid you not) whole fruit raspberry sorbet more than makes up for it. Never did I think I would find myself typing that sorbet is super delicious but it really is very good.

Kids Pizza Parties
I found out that Pizza Express have a real passion for #GettingKidsCooking and they are interested to help young diners become enthusiastic about great quality fresh ingredients. Our children were briefed and coached by the Pizzaiolos (chefs) to stretch their own dough, cover it in just the right amount of delicious tomato sauce and then top it according to their taste. They had such fun that I found myself asking one of the Pizza Express staff why they do not offer children's parties where the kids can get their hands dirty and have some fun and the reply was that that they do - who knew! Just £9.95 per child and they get to eat a good meal and make their own pizza. Something for me to remember in the future.

New Children's Menu
The new Piccolo menu is being billed as one that appeals to 'kids who enjoy good food' and Pizza Express have been working with a nutritionist to ensure that what can be a high calorie 'treat' meal is as good as possible for our little people. They have reduced the amount of salt in their tomato sauce, mozzarella and also tried to limit sugar where possible (ie, by removing fudge and cakey bits from kids ice cream desserts). Something like their classic starter of dough ball which has always been offered with garlic butter as a side, now comes with the choice of garlic butter (for those like my kids who love it) and an alternate with healthy fats - Olive Oil and Balsamic Syrup.Choice is what it is all about and as parents we need to ensure our kids are informed and can make those good choices for the future.

Not only can you still choose from a range of pasta and pizza on the Piccolo menu, you can now allow your child to be in charge and create their own pizza and the real selling point is that it won't cost you a penny more than the inclusive price of £6.50 for 3 courses and a Bambinoccino. How about a pizza topped with cheese, tomato sauce, ham, olive, mushrooms, chargrilled vegetables and juicy santos tomatoes?

Gluten-Free Diet
Not that any of my children have issues but it was also good to see Pizza Express taking an interest in catering to those who need a gluten-free diet and isn't it good to see a company who are thinking about their smallest customers as well as the adults?

They now have a gluten-free pizza base dough for those who need it and it has been awarded Coeliac UK's NGCI accreditation. There is also a gluten-free brownie as one of the desserts on offer.

Small Appetite?
For those who have a small appetite Pizza Express have listened to customer feedback and you can now just purchase one of the childrens main courses alone for the price of £3.95.  They are keen not to try to encourage small eaters to eat more than is necessary for their needs.

I can honestly say that we have been customers with our children at Pizza Express for a number of years now.  This was the place that introduced them to Bambinoccinos and now they are a treat they ask for quite regulalry. The new menu is a good upgrade and we will continue to be customers.

Thanks Pizza Express for a fun day....

We were happy to review the new Piccolo menu. I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.

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