We
are so lucky where we live, as we are blessed with some really lovely pubs and
restaurants – and so many within a 10-15 minute drive. I went to The Birch for
my mamas’ Christmas meal last month and was really impressed... I kinda wish I
had blogged about it then (the crispy skin sea bass was to die for, btw). But
after meeting my lovely work friend for tea and cake at Frosts Garden Centre in
Woburn Sands, Ash decided to treat me to a birthday lunch – and I chose to
return to The Birch.
Being
a Thursday lunchtime, it wasn’t as busy at it would normally be and certainly
not on the scale of the Christmas parties either. We went straight to the bar
and decided to sit there, rather than in the restaurant – it seemed more
Alfie-friendly and we were the only ones sitting on the far side. We got a
table in the window, Alfie and I sat on the bench together, while Ash sat in a
dining chair. Of course, we had to keep Alfie entertained and it wasn’t long
before he had the phone, although signal wasn’t great. Fortunately, the man
behind the bar brought over an activity pack with puzzles, colouring, crayons
and stickers. He actually enjoyed it too.
Knowing
I’d be having a Chinese in the evening and still feeling suitable full from the
large slice of hazelnut latte cake I’d had an hour or so before, we decided to
order sandwiches... and we probably could have done with sharing – the ciabattas
(served with chips) are huge! We both had Cajun chicken with lettuce and mayo,
which was divine. The chicken wasn’t overly spicy, but grilled perfectly so
that it was still succulent.
Alfie
had the fish, chips and peas from the children’s menu (for under 10s) and I was
expecting fish fingers or goujons. I was totally surprised when the plate
arrived to the table – a huge piece of battered cod, a similar size portion of
fries to what we had with our sandwich – enough food to feed the three of us! He
gave it a good go, eating most of the fish and leaving a lot of the batter, but
standard, he didn’t touch the peas!
I
also tried a really gorgeous new gin – one I’d never heard of or seen anywhere
else. I can’t remember what it was called, or think who the distiller is, but
it was a honey gin, accompanied by a Fever Tree Mediterranean tonic.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t too sweet and I need to find out what it was as I’d
love to have it again!
I’ve
now had two meals at The Birch, one lunch and one dinner and it totally doesn’t
disappoint. The staff are always so helpful and friendly – more efficient when
it’s quieter, but that’s to be expected. It’s great to have a quality
pub/restaurant virtually on our doorstep and even better that they have a
loyalty scheme too. I think there’s currently a 20% offer on too, but I believe
it’s due to end next month.
The
Birch is perfect for a date night, groups of friends or families and I’m
already looking forward to my next visit.
Love,
Lucy xx
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Love, Lucy xx