Month: January 2024

I watched the Brazil vs Belgium game at the house of a friend. But it wasn’t just the football that made it a memorable evening.

It was Gabriel’s piri-piri sauce that brought back memories of days in Beira and the Hut in Long St.

We started the game with crispy onion rings liberally drizzled with the piri-piri sauce. Then onto carne assada (roast beef) and crispy belly of pork accompanied by a fresh salad and once again lashings of peri-peri sauce.

An evening which took me off to both Portsmouth and Brighton in a search for the Brazilian restaurant which will serve as a fitting substitute for that authentic Thai meal, I well know, I will never find.

Cassons Restaurant is in a league of its very own when it comes to fine dining in Chichester.

I suspect nouvelle cuisine but I am way out of my depth when it comes to what is and what is not.

But exceptional food in relaxed surroundings by people who care is not difficult to understand once you drop the formalities.

Cassons in Tangmere is a charming country restaurant specialising in exquisite gourmet food and it is one of the best fine dining restaurants in Chichester and West Sussex.

Chef-patronne Viv Casson previously ran a successful restaurant in France, which explains the French influence and the passion for good food.

 

 

This is what took me back to Winchester over the weekend.

Only to discover that it is no longer on the menu. After a three hour bus ride, it was a bit of a disappointment. Despite which the Black Boy pub is still worth a visit.

Although I doubt it will involve a special outing by bus next time.

Old wooden tables and a quirky collection of the oddest artefacts and bric-a-brac. Four squirrels playing pool in a glass case, a couple of squash rackets mounted on the wall and shelves of books. Not quite a library, nor a museum but definitely a pub worth exploring.

Pity about the pudding.

Even if I had an ear for it, I would never dare to take them up on their offer.

You can tell just by looking at it that you want to know what you are letting yourself in for.

And its much the same with both the coffee and the certified organic wholefoods you find at St Martins Coffee. A bit intimidating at first.

But there is no need to make a public spectacle of oneself.

There are plenty of secluded spots where one can hideaway, with a newspaper to watch and observe before taking the plunge.

“Since our inception, June 1979, we have never used microwave ovens, aluminium pots, artificial colours, flavours, preservatives or tin openers. No industrial chain shop, factory, mass produced convenience meals will ever be served to you here.”

The property has a 18th Century facade and mediaeval interior that has been sensitively restored and furnished with an eclectic mixture of beams, log fires and enticing hideaways. Giving one every reason to expolre the twists and turns and the journey to the toilets on the third floor is an experience no visitor to Chichester should miss.

 Recommend a Local Service Provider

KL Carpentry & Roofing ◊
klcarpentryandroofing.business.site
facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063673105174
Klcarpentryandroofing@hotmail.com
16 Hangar Drive, Chichester

Morley & Sons Roofing ◊
morleyandsonsroofing.co.uk
facebook.com/jfmorley.roofing
morleyandsonsroofing@gmail.com
Paddocks Barn, Chichester

 Recommend a Local Service Provider

Magic Mikey
magicmikey.co.uk
facebook.com/magicmikey.co.uk
mikefairall@aol.com
07801 745232

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If you also have a sweet tooth.

Keep an eye on the Exclusive Cake Shop & Vintage Tearoom. From time to time they offer Koeksisters or Koeksusters as they are known in South Africa. They are a traditional Cape Malay confectionery made of fried dough infused in syrup or honey. Koeksisters are prepared by frying plaited dough strips in oil, then submersing the hot fried dough into ice cold sugar syrup. They have a golden crunchy crust and liquid syrup centre, are very sticky and sweet, and taste like honey.

The Vintage Tearoom is both gluten free and vegan friendly offering a comprehensive range of cakes, confectionery and speciality teas.

Fuel the Adventure produce a 10,000 mAh power bank designed to look like a minitature of the globally recognised and iconic jerrycan. A robust liquid container made from pressed steel.

Originally designed in Germany in the 1930s for military use as a fuel container, it proved to have many innovative features for convenience of use and robustness. Trusted by all military forces across the world as well as outdoor enthusiasts and many others, the jerrycan is universally loved, inspiring Fuel the Adventure to build a rugged battery charger which is a perfect corporate gift.

It is a high quality, well made and stylish.

10,000 mAh of handheld power; up to 3 full smartphone charges
Easy to view LEDs indicate available power
Rugged design which is splashproof, when the cap is sealed
Supplied with a USB-C charging cable to recharge (5-7 hours to fully recharge)
CE and RoHS certified. UL and UN 38.3 battery certified design