We had a very quiet New Year's Eve. Sophie and I were at work until 4pm and it was great to know that the business was closed and wouldn't re-open until 10am on Friday. We could go home and relax!
Keith and I had decided to cook a beef casserole with a sliced potato topping and it went down very well. As soon as I got home I made a fruit Pavlova and the meal was spread out over the whole evening, so it seemed a very short time until midnight.
We opened a bottle of sparkling wine, Mikey was first footer and then after a short while it was time for bed. The houses all around us were very quiet indeed, with nobody coming out and very few lights showing.
We all achieved a major lie-in this morning and I woke up at abut 9am! Annoyingly, the weather, as forecast, was grey and overcast, the gorgeous blue skies and sunshine not in evidence on the very first day of the year.
After a bit of a debate we decided to head for the town of Uppingham and a pub on the shores of Rutland Water, The Horse and Jockey in the village of Manton. However, when we arrived and parked in the very posh car park, we were told that there were no tables available, but we could eat straight away as long as we were out by 2pm... Keith was having none of this so we left and as we drove out of the village we saw a sign for Wing and I knew there was a pub there as I'd looked it up on the internet. We headed for the village buried deep in the Rutland countryside and found the inn tucked away on the main street.
First impressions of The Kings Arms weren't brilliant but once inside we all changed our opinion very quickly! There was a lovely smell of woodsmoke coming from a huge open fire, and the staff, although busy, were very happy to accommodate us if we didn't mind a bit of a wait. We were shown to a table in the restaurant and I sipped a half pint of a dark, locally brewed ale while Keith enjoyed a full pint. There was a lovely relaxed atmosphere and we certainly weren't in a hurry to eat.
When we received our menus, Keith and I chose the Catch of the Day in a beer batter, Sophie went for the curry while Mikey had a pulled pork burger. The pub take their food very seriously and most of it is sourced locally. They even had squirrel on the menu!
The food was delicious - our fish was beautifully cooked and the batter was crispy, just how we like it to be. The staff were all very friendly and with the lovely ambiance and quirky interior we had a great experience. So much so, that I booked there and then for my birthday in two week's time!
We left in the darkening gloom and drove home where the rest of the day was spent doing very little!
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