beaker

Any further thoughts/updates on Brighton food scene - am down there this coming weekend on a last minute trip?

Went here for lunch the other day with a few colleagues from work. Nice buzzy atmosphere at lunch time and great steaks (we only went for mains and everyone had steak). Only downside was the service - an hour and a quarter to get the food (admittedly we were a table of 7 but still it seems a bit long, particularly at lunch) then a couple of the steak orders came out wrong (as in not cooked to order). I'd ordered rare and was given a steak that was medium. I mentioned this to the waiter (politely, I'm quite a shy type!) presuming I'd been given the wrong order, who preceeded to argue with me and insist it was rare. The person next to me pointed out that it was clearly more well done than her medium to rare but for some reason he continued to insist it was rare. I'd actually (partly due to the wait and also because I didn't want to spoil the meal for everyone) just have just eaten the medium steak, but his attitude in continuing to claim it was rare was bugging me. Anyway as he is standing there have this slightly ridiculous discussion another waitress came over and stated "rare steak - we sent out a medium by mistake". So they swopped it over - but no apology. As i said the steak itself was fantastic, but I do think that when you are a specialist steak joint your waiters should be able to see whether a steak is rare or not (or admit to a mistake). Hopefully a one off, as feedback from most other people I know who have been there has been great.

Thanks everyone!

Hi all I'm meeting a friend for lunch in Peterborough next week and, not being an area either of us really knows, was wondering if anyone could suggest somewhere for a casual but good lunch?

Will do - had actually booked for next weekend but am having to have my wisdom teeth out instead now

Your observation is pretty much right - there are good pubs for drinking but eating often isn't that great. Any particular bit of Northumberland (i.e. the north (nearer Berwick) or south (Morpeth/Bamburgh etc)?I've always tended to head into Newcastle - if you give me a bit more of an idea as to area I'll have a think. On the plus side there are an increasing number of farm shops etc with good produce springing up

I went to the Black Door brasserie at the Biscuit Factory for lunch the other day and was pleasantly surprised - the food had a lightness of touch and subtlety that lifted it above standard newcastle "brasserie" (for example what was previously offered by Barn there - which i liked but was much more robust) and made the 16.50 three course lunch deal really good value. Staff were still bedding in but exceptionally friendly and helpful. I haven't been to the main restaurant but have heard good things about it from people whose opinion I usually trust - definitely somewhere I'll be trying next time I'm back up there.

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It is legal to sell unpastuerised milk for the farm gate but not, I believe, through other outlets. How did we come to this? I think you can also get it mail order from some places - I order unpasteurised goats milk and get that delivered to London, I'd imagine somewhere must do the same for cows.

Why on earth would you want to give yourself food poisoning? ←

For food poisoning - teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a small glass of water

I am similarly a bit strapped for timing and fine the abel and cole boxes are really good because of that - saves the weekly schlep to the supermarkets. We are a household of two who get veggies, meat, eggs, fish etc from abel and cole and then probably go to Waitrose once every three weeks for bulky stuff, and that seems to work fine. Only thing I have found though is that it does mean you have to be quite disciplined in using all the abel and cole stuff - even if it isn't what you particularly fancy that evening, otherwise you can end up wasting vegetables.