On one of our recent stays in the New Forest, our bed & breakfast did not offer proper breakfast, just muesli and yogurt, so we ventured into nearby Brockenhurst to the Buttery, a cheap and cheerful English café in the very centre of town, and one of the few places around that serve breakfast from 9am on weekends. After short deliberation we decided to order 2x Full English for me (£6.85 each, all those recent outdoor activities stirred my appetite enormously), scrambled eggs with fried mushrooms for Ms B (£4.95), two large cappuccinos (£3.00 each), orange juice (£2.60 each) and two sparkling waters (£2.50 each). The waiter arrived quickly to pick up the order, but told us that the waiting time might be significant. We asked what significant meant and he said roughly 15 to 20 minutes. We agreed to stay. After 25 minutes our dishes finally arrived (the coffee […]
Kayaking with ‘New Forest Activities’ – Fair bit of exercise, fabulous fun, and you get to see jellyfish!
Last summer Ms B & I decided to venture to the New Forest again as it was the start of the pannage season when local farmers have permission for two months to let their pigs roam free around the woodlands. The idea is that the pigs eat all the acorns that are harmful for other animals like the free-roaming ponies, horses, and donkeys (in principle the acorns are harmful to pigs too, but these smart badasses simply spit out those bits). Anyhoooo.. didn’t see a single pig, so resorted to other activities. Besides horseback riding (post here), the most fun activity was our 3h kayaking trip with New Forest Activities (£39.90 per person). The starting point is at the beautiful Buckler’s Hard Maritime Museum (open air, admission included) on the banks of the Beaulieu river. At the start of the 18th century a highly ambitious and (following his […]
Beresfords at the Balmer Lawn in Brockenhurst
During our recent visit to the New Forest, Ms B & I enjoyed a dinner at the lovely Beresfords restaurant at the four-star Balmer Lawn hotel in Brockenhurst. The dining hall is spacious and pleasantly decorated. After short deliberation Ms B opted for a ‘Beresfords bite’ which resembled a prawn cocktail (£5) and sea trout (£22). I went for grilled beef heart (£6.50) and roasted guinea fowl with fries (£19). The starters arrived quickly. I hadn’t had grilled beef heart in a very long time, so had forgotten that it can have quite a strong, peculiar smell, which came as a bit of a shock at first. The taste however was very pleasant, and I had no regrets ordering the dish. Ms B’s prawn cocktail was light and not too spicey, just as she prefers it. Our mains were delicious. Ms B’s sea trout was very flavoursome, I loved the […]