All That I'm Eating

Recipe ideas for budget meals, everyday cooking and a little indulgence. Travel inspiration and restaurant reviews too.

Coastal Bite, Southend

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This was a gifted meal.

After arriving in Southend a few weeks ago we ventured out, into some unruly weather, to take a walk along the seafront to Westcliff-on-Sea to get some lunch. After passing the pier, Southend town and some of the gardens opposite the water we arrived at a collection of cafés and shops set back from the sea each with its own brightly coloured awning, tempting smell and delicious sounding menu. I love a sandwich and they don’t come much better than the open or closed ones at Coastal Bite. read more

The Pipe of Port, Southend

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The Pipe of Port Southend - outside

This was a gifted meal.

Every town has a hidden gem I’m sure of it. The only problem with hidden gems is that some people don’t like to tell you about them; the secret is best kept to themselves. Well, sorry Southend but I’m going to tell everyone about yours: The Pipe of Port. Just off the main high street, with blackboards outside to announce its presence this is a restaurant that is worth a visit. Even if you live in Lerwick.

You descend into The Pipe of Port and land in an underground cellar filled with subtle light bulbs, candles, places to sit, menus to look at and absolutely huge barrels of port. This place specialises in two things: wine and pies. But don’t be fooled, they have all the independent beers, ciders and other soft drinks you could ever need. They have a huge, and very interesting, selection of wines by the glass and many, many more by the bottle. They also have some very exclusive wines available by the bottle; what a fantastic idea to treat yourself. read more

A Weekend in Southend

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This was a gifted stay and meal.

When I hear a town name that ends in ‘on-Sea’ I can’t help but think it’ll be a place full of fish a chip shops, candyfloss and rock, stripy deck chairs and 99s with a flake. It conjures up images of 1950’s his and hers matching striped bathing suits, an afternoon watching Punch and Judy and a cream tea or two. If you can’t tell already I’m a big fan of a British seaside town, there’s something about them you don’t find anywhere else, so I was really looking forward to my weekend in Southend. read more

North Cornwall Coast Road Trip

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North Cornwall Coast Road Trip - Lanhydrock

We’ve all done it. Looked through various travel magazines and wondered why all these amazing places are so far away, took one look out of the window and decided that our own surroundings are rubbish. Just me? I decided that I want to explore more of what’s on my doorstep; to visit more of my own backyard as it were. One way of doing this, and certainly the way I have decided to go about it, is to visit all the UNESCO World Heritage sites in the UK. There are 29 of them in total (at the moment). Three of them are islands in the middle of the ocean and as this is about what’s on my home turf I am discounting those. So I’ve got 26 to visit before the big birthday, which just over two years away and I had already ticked off five before embarking on our North Cornwall Coast road trip.
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River Cottage Canteen Winchester

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This was a gifted meal.

Winchester is home to many lovely things. A cathedral with an excellent second hand bookshop round the back, a marvellous independent tea shop and now, although I say now it has been there for some time, the River Cottage Canteen Winchester. It’s in such a lovely setting, next to the river Itchen in a park and they get as many of their ingredients as possible from Hampshire. If they don’t come from Hampshire they come from Devon (i.e. River Cottage HQ) and almost every ingredient has a story behind it. read more

Five Days in New York: How To Do Everything

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So you’ve booked your flights and hotel to the Big Apple and it’s a little while until you go, plenty of time to plan. You start looking online for ideas and inspiration for where to go and what to see; it’s all a bit overwhelming and you tell yourself you’ll come back to it. You buy a guidebook, thicker than you thought, and start trying to narrow down what to do. Again, it’s so full of ideas you don’t know whether to start at the back or the front. Have no fear. I had five days in New York and I have been through the process for you; here’s how I did it all. read more

Aluna Bristol

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This was a gifted meal.

Bristol is just over an hour away from me so it’s not too far for a day out but not close enough that I pop over on a regular basis. So when I do go I like to make the most of it; there’s always plenty to see and do. I went last weekend for a wander round the shops and it always surprises me how far the city stretches and the new places I find. This time I found a lovely street market and food hall very near each other so I was well occupied for at least an hour. We had planned lunch a bar and restaurant called Aluna which specialises in cocktails and Asian food. read more

The Guardhouse Cafe Brixham

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Maybe it’s just me but whenever I go somewhere for a day, perhaps a wander round an estate, to the beach or for a tree climbing, rope swinging experience I always expect much more from the on-site café than it delivers. I never learn and take my own food though, I just wash the cardboard sandwich down with terrible coffee and have done with it. However, don’t despair and think all is lost because I have good news. There is a café which could rival any of the best and it’s located at a popular walking spot in Brixham, Devon. read more

The Red Lion at Stoke Poges

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The Red Lion Stoke Poges

This was a gifted meal.

If I go into a pub in the winter and there is a fire, I am a happy customer. I walked into the Red Lion at Stoke Poges to find four fires going and a great range of drinks at the bar. On a drizzly, grey day that’s always a welcome sight. I was there to try out their lunch offerings and after sitting down in the restaurant, which was lovely, bright and airy but still with brick fireplaces and exposed beams, I tried to make some menu choices.

One side of the menu is a la carte style; starters, sharing plates and mains and on the back are the pub classics. You may have seen before that I always check out what the vegetarian option is to see if a place puts as much effort into their veggie offerings as the rest of their plates. I think you can tell a lot about a place by what they offer their vegetarian diners; if it’s mushroom risotto, walk out of the door. I was so impressed with the veggie options, at least five to choose from in the mains and one of the specials was veggie too. read more

The Maytime Inn at Asthall

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This was a gifted meal.

A few Fridays ago I headed off for a one night stay at The Maytime Inn at Asthall (near Burford, Oxfordshire). Sometimes I think a weekend away is better than a week away. Taking a Friday afternoon off to escape somewhere, far enough away that you’re somewhere different but not so far away that you’re forever travelling, to spend a short time relaxing or doing something new is always good idea as far as I’m concerned. Asthall is a very picturesque Cotswold village at the heart of which is The Maytime Inn. read more

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