As
Pieman was unable to attend this month's trip to The Hurdles in Droxford, mini Pieman (also known as Porky Pie) stepped into the breach
to bring to you news of our latest venture!
The
Hurdles has a very good reputation in the area as an excellent
Bar/Restaurant so we felt it was about time we paid them a visit to
savour their pies.
So,
Nick, Paul (tall), Paul (Lord North), Doug, Eric and Trev met outside
the BW Tandoori to board our taxi for the short trip to Droxford. The
taxi was spot on time, thank you driver Tony, so we arrived at the
Hurdles in plenty of time to sample their beers before the main
event. Gordon, a new member, who has recently moved to Meonstoke
joined us there. There was some discussion between some of the
members whether Gordon should be allowed to join as he does not live
in Bishops Waltham but if nothing else we are a fair bunch and
respect equal opportunities for all so we welcomed Gordon into the
fold. Also 2 other members live out of the area!
We
received a friendly welcome when entering the pub and we were all
highly impressed by the pleasant ambience.
There
were two real ales on offer, Bowman Ales Wallops Wood 4% and
Goddard's Fuggle Dee Dum 4.8%. Tall Paul went for his usual
Guinness and the rest of us opted for the Wallops Wood, a beer we
were all very familiar with and always in good 'nick'. Unfortunately,
the beer was not in good 'nick' and after much patience by the
barmaid it was discovered that it was the end of the barrel and she
scuttled off to put a new one on. In the meantime we settled for a
pint of Fuggle Dee Dum which was fine. The new barrel of Wallops Wood
was also fine.
We
were very pleased to be offered a choice of pies, a Steak and Kidney
Suet Pudding or Chicken and Chorizo. Three of us went for the former
and four the latter. The pies came with cabbage and mashed potato or
you could opt for large chips or french fries as an alternative to
the potatoes. Additionally, individual jugs of gravy were provided,
which we like.
Steak
and Kidney Pudding
Chicken
and Chorizo
Both
pies were substantial with very good fillings. The Chicken and
Chorizo pie had a short crust pastry bottom and sides with a flaky
pastry top which was excellent. When you cut into the pie it was a
bit surprising to see a 'flood' of gravy pour out of the pie!
However, this did not have a detrimental effect on the taste of this
pie which was very good indeed. Those who opted for the Steak and
Kidney Pudding were rather surprised to see it arrive with a baked
suet crust rather than the traditional soft suet casing and felt it
did not really work with this type of pie. However, most of the
plates were cleared and after a beer break we duly moved on to the
pudding menu.
There
were a good choice of puddings and the group went for the following
selection:
Bakewell
Tart with Clotted Cream
Banana
Crumble with Ice Cream
Cheese
and Biscuits
....and
especially for Nick a very interesting looking Mint & Chocolate
Chip Ice Cream!
Everyone
agreed the puddings were excellent and we just had time to finish up
our beer, pay the bill as our taxi arrived. On returning to Bishops
Waltham some of us retired to the Crown to contemplate life!
Scores
(max of 5 in each category, 25 overall):
-
Pastry 3.5
-
Filling 4.15
-
Beer 3.25
-
Ambience 4
-
Value 4.25
-
Overall 19.15
An
enjoyable time was had by all with excellent service. The score of
19.15 out of a possible 25 is a good score and may well have been
higher if there had not been for an initial hiccup with the beer and
the steak and kidney pudding had had a traditional casing. However,
as always, this is down to personal taste. The lunchtime offer of 2
courses for £13. 50 is excellent value for money.
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