Cinio, Heddiw...

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OK - I promised you a report on today's lunch, so here it is. Pictured is my main, more of which in a bit. The weather today was pretty warm, very sunny, and there was just the right amount of coolness in the breeze that filtered into the restaurant from the riverside gardens, where hardier folk were eating al fresco in the pretty fierce sunshine.

We started with a shared bowl of olives with various homemade breads, butter, and a dip of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, which was rather nice. I'd opted for a glass of generic house sauvignon blanc while the others chose water or Coke to wash things down, and I think I chose wisest, but then I would, wouldn't I? For mains, Jane and James chose the smoked cod, spring onion & lemon risotto with dill pesto and samphire; Leo the homemade 8oz beefburger with streaky bacon and mature cheddar, tomato relish and fries in a - by now ubiquitous - brioche bun.

For my part, I was tempted by the Hereford fillet steak, but opted instead for the slow-braised lamb shoulder, roast minted new potatoes and tenderstem broccoli, with a red wine gravy. The meat appeared to be twice-cooked, and arrived as a 2" x 1.5" cuboid under a decoration of pea-shoots; very pretty, tender and in parts, nicely pink: like a mini-terrine without jelly. The potatoes were lovely: if these were Herefordshire locals, they tasted every bit as good as Jersey Royals. There was al dente broccoli and an excellent sauce: not a gravy, as stated, as it wasn't thickened, simply reduced; just the ticket.

I have to admit that I had to leave a small portion of the meat, as I've got to the age where my eyes really are bigger than my belly, and I portion-control automatically. However, that didn't stop me having a pudding of Affogato: plain vanilla [iced-cream in this case] with a shot of espresso and a crushed biscotto. We left replete. And repaired pretty much immediately to The Sun Inn, where I had a pint of Hobson's Best bitter ale, Jane a half of cider and James and Leo still on the water: well, one on still, the other on sparkling. All in all, not a bad way to spend a couple of hours in a very pleasant village...

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