The Cricketts Inn
Burton Road, Acresford, Swadlincote DE12 8AP
From the outside this is a nice looking pub, clean, tidy, well kept and set in beautiful rural surroundings. Inside it is a fairly standard looking country pub, rustic and welcoming, if a little bit on the scruffy side.
I arrived early and sat at the bar to have a couple of drinks, despite the pub not being particularly busy, the bar clearly hadn’t been cleaned properly in some time and had become very sticky and was giving off a smell of stale beer. Being a Marston’s affiliated country pub I was expecting a reasonable selection of ales, disappointingly they only had two ales on tap, one of which was Pedigree and the other was Lancaster Bomber. I ordered myself a pint of Pedigree and took a long swig the beer was definitely off, it tasted of nothing but sulphur, I didn’t drink the rest. I mentioned it to one the girls serving, she seemed not to care at all and didn’t do anything to rectify the situation, again this was somewhat disappointing.
After about ten minutes they called us through and we were seated, I ordered a starter of black pudding bhajis. When they were brought out they were nicely presented and looked freshly cooked, I cut into them they were still hot and nicely crisp. They had a very pleasant texture and taste though they didn’t seem to contain an awful lot of black pubbing, which being black pudding bhajis, was a bit of a let down.
Shortly after the starters had been cleared away they started bringing out the mains, I had ordered a 16oz ribeye steak, chips and grilled mushrooms, I asked for the steak to be cooked rare. I was glad to see the chips were not frozen chips and had definitely been hand cut, they were nice but nothing spectacular and the portion size left a lot to be desired. The steak was what really let them down in my eyes, it was nowhere the size or thickness that a 16oz should be, I would put the size somewhere between the 10 and 12oz mark. When I cut into it, it was definitely not rare, it was quite dry and after the first bite I could tell it had not been seasoned at all. Because of how my earlier issue had been dealt with by the staff, I chose not to raise it and continued to eat. Fortunately one of the group I was with had a pot of black peppercorn sauce and was willing to share, this actually improved the meal enough for me to finish the plate.
Some of the group chose to have deserts, I decided not to as nothing on the menu really appealed to me and I had been a little bit put off by how disappointed I was by the rest of the meal.
Unfortunately I had heard good things prior to eating at The Cricketts Inn, coupled with the fact that menu read very well and the prices weren’t particularly cheap, I went in with high hopes and I think this is partially why I was so disappointed with my experience. The food itself wasn’t actually that bad but it also wasn’t particularly good, it was disappointingly average.
Showing posts with label beer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beer. Show all posts
Saturday, June 17, 2017
Monday, October 10, 2016
The Downwards Spiral
Since my last post I've been trying to shake off the downwards spiral I've put my life in general into over the last few months. I'd been feeling really low, I was letting the negative thoughts get to me and I was getting to the stage where I wasn't connecting with the things I enjoy and care about. In order to pull myself together and get back on track I need to make positive changes to my lifestyle, I need to reconnect and I need to improve my general health and well being. Losing a bit of weight, getting myself back down to the size I was a few years ago and improving my health in general seemed like a good starting point.
For me the obvious first step was trying to cut down on my alcohol consumption, over the last few months this had steadily increased to the point where it had become an issue. It was a primary factor in my recent weight gain and was starting to become very expensive. I'm mainly a real ale and craft beer drinker, so I'd been spending as much on beer as on almost all of my other expenditures combined. I'm not going to make out like it was an epic struggle, I am not and have never been dependant on alcohol. Though with that said I was definitely using it as a sort of comfort blanket, slipping in to the gentle mellowness that comes on the edge of being drunk and using it to shut off the negative thoughts that are almost constantly running through my mind. The way I saw it the solution was fairly simple, do not buy beer, either by avoiding the temptation entirely or by going in with "do not buy beer" set at the forefront of my mind. So far this solution has been very successful, I haven't bought beer and if the beer isn't in the house then I can't drink it.
The second step is a little harder for me to face, I need to cut down on my snacking and tweak my general diet to include less junk and more healthy food. This is always particularly hard for me as I'm a bit of a foodie, eating is hugely important to me, I derive more pleasure from eating than almost anything else in my life. Combined with the fact that my general food preferences largely consist of meat and meat based products means that my day to day calorie intake tends to be fairly high. For me the easiest part of getting my eating under control was to cut down on the snacking, I've done this by initially replacing my normal unhealthy snacks with fruit and veg before slowly cutting the number of snacks down to just a couple of pieces of fruit a day. Once I'd got snacking under control I moved on to adjusting my breakfast routine, for me breakfast usually consisted of something along the lines of a ham and cheese sandwich, beans and cheese on toast or toasted bagels and chocolate spread. I needed to replace this and decided cereals would be the way to go, after testing several different cereals I came to conclusion that no added sugar or salt muesli offered the best compromise between flavour and being healthy. Now I'm starting to get my eating under control, my calorie intake is down and I'm eating more fruit and veg, it's time to introduce the next step.
The third step is to try and exercise more, now I'm never going to be the kind of guy who spends his life in gym, that is definitely not for me. Instead I decided it was time to get out and about and start walking at weekends. When I was younger I loved going camping, hiking, etc. I loved to get out into the country and just enjoy being outside, away from the hustle and bustle, away from the town centre crowds. Part of me would love to re-capture that outdoors spirit and the freedom I felt, part of me just hates being surrounded by people and loves the solitude. Either way the last few weekends I've spent heading out into the middle of nowhere and following one of the many planned walking routes. I have to say it's been a very nice experience, I've seen some beautiful countryside, some gorgeous woodlands, charming villages and wonderful wildlife. I don't know if it's physically doing me any good, I haven't noticed any weight loss, but it's definitely lifting my mood and I'm definitely rediscovering my love of the English countryside and the great outdoors in general.
These are changes that I should really have made a long time ago and realistically, if I'm genuinely going to get my life back on track, there's a long way to go and a lot more changes that I need to make. I know I don't have the best track record with this kind of thing, I'm definitely guilty of procrastination and I nearly always take the easy way out, but I'm genuinely hoping I can keep this up and can actually start to make the changes I need to be the person I want to be.
Walking and the Great Outdoors
For me the obvious first step was trying to cut down on my alcohol consumption, over the last few months this had steadily increased to the point where it had become an issue. It was a primary factor in my recent weight gain and was starting to become very expensive. I'm mainly a real ale and craft beer drinker, so I'd been spending as much on beer as on almost all of my other expenditures combined. I'm not going to make out like it was an epic struggle, I am not and have never been dependant on alcohol. Though with that said I was definitely using it as a sort of comfort blanket, slipping in to the gentle mellowness that comes on the edge of being drunk and using it to shut off the negative thoughts that are almost constantly running through my mind. The way I saw it the solution was fairly simple, do not buy beer, either by avoiding the temptation entirely or by going in with "do not buy beer" set at the forefront of my mind. So far this solution has been very successful, I haven't bought beer and if the beer isn't in the house then I can't drink it.
The second step is a little harder for me to face, I need to cut down on my snacking and tweak my general diet to include less junk and more healthy food. This is always particularly hard for me as I'm a bit of a foodie, eating is hugely important to me, I derive more pleasure from eating than almost anything else in my life. Combined with the fact that my general food preferences largely consist of meat and meat based products means that my day to day calorie intake tends to be fairly high. For me the easiest part of getting my eating under control was to cut down on the snacking, I've done this by initially replacing my normal unhealthy snacks with fruit and veg before slowly cutting the number of snacks down to just a couple of pieces of fruit a day. Once I'd got snacking under control I moved on to adjusting my breakfast routine, for me breakfast usually consisted of something along the lines of a ham and cheese sandwich, beans and cheese on toast or toasted bagels and chocolate spread. I needed to replace this and decided cereals would be the way to go, after testing several different cereals I came to conclusion that no added sugar or salt muesli offered the best compromise between flavour and being healthy. Now I'm starting to get my eating under control, my calorie intake is down and I'm eating more fruit and veg, it's time to introduce the next step.
The third step is to try and exercise more, now I'm never going to be the kind of guy who spends his life in gym, that is definitely not for me. Instead I decided it was time to get out and about and start walking at weekends. When I was younger I loved going camping, hiking, etc. I loved to get out into the country and just enjoy being outside, away from the hustle and bustle, away from the town centre crowds. Part of me would love to re-capture that outdoors spirit and the freedom I felt, part of me just hates being surrounded by people and loves the solitude. Either way the last few weekends I've spent heading out into the middle of nowhere and following one of the many planned walking routes. I have to say it's been a very nice experience, I've seen some beautiful countryside, some gorgeous woodlands, charming villages and wonderful wildlife. I don't know if it's physically doing me any good, I haven't noticed any weight loss, but it's definitely lifting my mood and I'm definitely rediscovering my love of the English countryside and the great outdoors in general.
These are changes that I should really have made a long time ago and realistically, if I'm genuinely going to get my life back on track, there's a long way to go and a lot more changes that I need to make. I know I don't have the best track record with this kind of thing, I'm definitely guilty of procrastination and I nearly always take the easy way out, but I'm genuinely hoping I can keep this up and can actually start to make the changes I need to be the person I want to be.
Walking and the Great Outdoors
Sunday, March 6, 2016
The Demon Barber Of Fleet...... Street
Between both of us
working full time and my partner spending her weekends working hard, preparing
lessons and marking for the week ahead, we don't always get the opportunity to
go out as much as we would like. Last weekend was one of those opportunities, I
had booked us tickets to see a local operatic society performing their
rendition of Sweeney Todd at Nottingham Arts Theatre. A venue that both me and
my partner have a particular fondness for, partially due to it being located in
a part of town we like to frequent and partially due to the venue being fairly
small, giving performances there an intimacy lacking in larger
venues.
Rather than just running into town just to see the show we decided to make a full day of it and headed in to Nottingham early to do a bit of shopping and hopefully have a meal out. With that in mind I booked a table at George's Great British Kitchen for lunch, a place I have wanted to try since I first learned of it's existence last year.
We started the day with a steady wander around town, visiting a few of our favourite shops on the way. Lush, Dr Martens, Fopp, Forbidden Planet and Brew Cavern just to name a few. Having purchased ourselves a few bits, bobs and treats we headed over to George's for lunch. For those of you who don't know George's it's an upscale fish and chip restaurant on Queen Street, just off the old market square in the town centre.
For me fish and chips is a genuine British institution and to find a real restaurant serving proper hand cut chips (Frozen chips at a restaurant, or even a food pub, is a HUGE no for me) with beautifully fresh, hand battered fish is an absolute treat and somewhere I need to visit. To find one in the heart of the midlands, about as far away from the sea as you can get, is even more special.
After lunch we headed off to the Notthingham Arts Theatre to catch the two o'clock performance. Having ordered the tickets well in advance, we had really good seats a few rows from the front with an excellent, central view of the stage, in more or less the same seats as our previous two visits to the venue. The theatre itself is fairly small but very well laid out, with a small stage at the far end and seating for around 300 people set out in 3 columns.
The stage was dark except for one beam of light shining onto a pile of wooden furniture and props in the centre, into the light stepped a single man to announce the story of Sweeney Todd, the demon barber of fleet street. From the very outset the cast managed to set an eerie, atmospheric tone despite the fact that they had absolutely no backdrops and very limited space. Using a meagre supply of props and relying heavily on the casts vocal talents and the dark atmosphere of the story, they made the most of the small stage, moving the furniture and props around to create the different scenes required for the different narrative elements of the show. The casting was excellent and the actors where very believable in their roles, with standout performances by the actors playing Sweeney Todd, Mrs Lovett and Judge Turpin. Throughout the show the musical accompaniment was second to none and the vocal performances of the actors were excellent, often using harsh tones and harmonies to counter point the dark atmosphere and foreboding presence of the story. Overall a very enjoyable show, very well presented, very well performed and very deserving of the audiences applause. An experience both myself and my partner are eager to repeat.
The show itself was a little over 3 hours long, with the 20 minute interval and allowing time for people to enter and leave the venue, meant it was early evening by the time we left and decided that bedways was rightways, so best we go homeways and get a bit of spatchka.
Rather than just running into town just to see the show we decided to make a full day of it and headed in to Nottingham early to do a bit of shopping and hopefully have a meal out. With that in mind I booked a table at George's Great British Kitchen for lunch, a place I have wanted to try since I first learned of it's existence last year.
We started the day with a steady wander around town, visiting a few of our favourite shops on the way. Lush, Dr Martens, Fopp, Forbidden Planet and Brew Cavern just to name a few. Having purchased ourselves a few bits, bobs and treats we headed over to George's for lunch. For those of you who don't know George's it's an upscale fish and chip restaurant on Queen Street, just off the old market square in the town centre.
For me fish and chips is a genuine British institution and to find a real restaurant serving proper hand cut chips (Frozen chips at a restaurant, or even a food pub, is a HUGE no for me) with beautifully fresh, hand battered fish is an absolute treat and somewhere I need to visit. To find one in the heart of the midlands, about as far away from the sea as you can get, is even more special.
After lunch we headed off to the Notthingham Arts Theatre to catch the two o'clock performance. Having ordered the tickets well in advance, we had really good seats a few rows from the front with an excellent, central view of the stage, in more or less the same seats as our previous two visits to the venue. The theatre itself is fairly small but very well laid out, with a small stage at the far end and seating for around 300 people set out in 3 columns.
The stage was dark except for one beam of light shining onto a pile of wooden furniture and props in the centre, into the light stepped a single man to announce the story of Sweeney Todd, the demon barber of fleet street. From the very outset the cast managed to set an eerie, atmospheric tone despite the fact that they had absolutely no backdrops and very limited space. Using a meagre supply of props and relying heavily on the casts vocal talents and the dark atmosphere of the story, they made the most of the small stage, moving the furniture and props around to create the different scenes required for the different narrative elements of the show. The casting was excellent and the actors where very believable in their roles, with standout performances by the actors playing Sweeney Todd, Mrs Lovett and Judge Turpin. Throughout the show the musical accompaniment was second to none and the vocal performances of the actors were excellent, often using harsh tones and harmonies to counter point the dark atmosphere and foreboding presence of the story. Overall a very enjoyable show, very well presented, very well performed and very deserving of the audiences applause. An experience both myself and my partner are eager to repeat.
The show itself was a little over 3 hours long, with the 20 minute interval and allowing time for people to enter and leave the venue, meant it was early evening by the time we left and decided that bedways was rightways, so best we go homeways and get a bit of spatchka.
Saturday, December 26, 2015
Hoppy Christmas - Part 3
So I’ve been a little lax in writing my reviews, it’s now boxing day and I feel as though I should do what I intended and finish writing. This is part 3 of my Hoppy Christmas calendar reveiw and it covers the 14th right through to the 24th of December. Please watch part 5, 6 & 7 of my unboxing videos on the links below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exhCXQgTtj0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8CChg_Diqg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kx5eGpy7ux0
No.14 I Sea Santa - Brains - A dark brown beer, smells of spices and treacle with a hint of citrus.
No.15 Xmas Chaos - Anarchy Brew Co - A seasonal Christmas beer with a distinctly Christmasy flavour, rum, raisins and spices.
No.16 Earl Grey PA - Atlantic Brewery - A cloudy IPA with a citrus flavour and a hint of bergamot.
No.17 Calypso - Siren Craft Brew - A citrus heavy flavour with a bitter hoppy kick.
No.18 The Honey Ale - Hiver - A gorgoeus deep brown ale with honey sweetness and a slight hoppy bitterness.
No.19 Pils - Fourpure Brewing Co - A German pilsner style beer, floral smell with a crisp refreshing flavour.
No.20 London Pale Ale - Meantime Brewing - A traditional pale ale with a decent amount of bitterness and a citrus flavour.
No.21 Hix’s Darkside - The Unseen University Boathouse Brewery - A very smooth oatmeal stout, complex flavours with a decent amount of sweetness.
No.22 DOA IPA - Los Muertos Brewing - A hoppy IPA with plenty of bitterness and floral notes, just the right amount of sweetness to make it balanced.
No.23 Easy IPA - Flying Dow Brewery - A light, flasvoursome beer with a citrus taste and a light spicyness.
No.24 Red Nose Reinbeer - Cotleigh Brewery - A seasonal beer, deep copper coloured, richly flavoured with hints of chocolate and a toffee sweetness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exhCXQgTtj0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8CChg_Diqg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kx5eGpy7ux0
No.14 I Sea Santa - Brains - A dark brown beer, smells of spices and treacle with a hint of citrus.
No.15 Xmas Chaos - Anarchy Brew Co - A seasonal Christmas beer with a distinctly Christmasy flavour, rum, raisins and spices.
No.16 Earl Grey PA - Atlantic Brewery - A cloudy IPA with a citrus flavour and a hint of bergamot.
No.17 Calypso - Siren Craft Brew - A citrus heavy flavour with a bitter hoppy kick.
No.18 The Honey Ale - Hiver - A gorgoeus deep brown ale with honey sweetness and a slight hoppy bitterness.
No.19 Pils - Fourpure Brewing Co - A German pilsner style beer, floral smell with a crisp refreshing flavour.
No.20 London Pale Ale - Meantime Brewing - A traditional pale ale with a decent amount of bitterness and a citrus flavour.
No.21 Hix’s Darkside - The Unseen University Boathouse Brewery - A very smooth oatmeal stout, complex flavours with a decent amount of sweetness.
No.22 DOA IPA - Los Muertos Brewing - A hoppy IPA with plenty of bitterness and floral notes, just the right amount of sweetness to make it balanced.
No.23 Easy IPA - Flying Dow Brewery - A light, flasvoursome beer with a citrus taste and a light spicyness.
No.24 Red Nose Reinbeer - Cotleigh Brewery - A seasonal beer, deep copper coloured, richly flavoured with hints of chocolate and a toffee sweetness.
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Friday, December 18, 2015
Monday, December 14, 2015
Hoppy Christmas - Part 2
We're now over halfway through December, Christmas is getting ever closer and this is part 2 of my Hoppy Christmas advent calendar. Part 2 covers the 7th through to the 13th of December, please watch parts 3 & 4 of my unboxing videos on the links below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMr7Y5XMsT8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iJsq86yG9Y
No.7 Talisman - Alechemy Brewing - A hazy pilsner style beer, plenty of flavour with a slight toffee sweetness.
No.8 Railway Porter - Five Points Brewing Co - A classic London style porter, smells of chocolate and coffee. Rich and flavoursome with a bitter sweet caramel edge.
No.9 Cwtch - Tiny Rebel Brewery - A traditional Welsh Red Ale, plenty of citrus flavour with a decent amount of hoppy bitterness.
No.10 Op & Top - Brouwerij De Molen - A cloudy English Bitter style ale. Caramel sweetness with citrus flavours followed by a floral hoppy bitterness.
No.11 Gentleman’s Wit - Camden Town Brewery - A Belgian style Witbier, has a distinct Earl Grey / bergamot orange flavour with a lemony sweetness.
No.12 Schiehallion - Harviestoun Brewery - A craft lager with a fruity, citrus smell. Tastes of grapefruit with a slight honey sweetness.
No.13 Dark Lager - Freedom Brewery - A craft lager reddish brown in colour, with a bitter sweet flavour like burnt toffee.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMr7Y5XMsT8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iJsq86yG9Y
No.7 Talisman - Alechemy Brewing - A hazy pilsner style beer, plenty of flavour with a slight toffee sweetness.
No.8 Railway Porter - Five Points Brewing Co - A classic London style porter, smells of chocolate and coffee. Rich and flavoursome with a bitter sweet caramel edge.
No.9 Cwtch - Tiny Rebel Brewery - A traditional Welsh Red Ale, plenty of citrus flavour with a decent amount of hoppy bitterness.
No.10 Op & Top - Brouwerij De Molen - A cloudy English Bitter style ale. Caramel sweetness with citrus flavours followed by a floral hoppy bitterness.
No.11 Gentleman’s Wit - Camden Town Brewery - A Belgian style Witbier, has a distinct Earl Grey / bergamot orange flavour with a lemony sweetness.
No.12 Schiehallion - Harviestoun Brewery - A craft lager with a fruity, citrus smell. Tastes of grapefruit with a slight honey sweetness.
No.13 Dark Lager - Freedom Brewery - A craft lager reddish brown in colour, with a bitter sweet flavour like burnt toffee.
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Friday, December 11, 2015
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Hoppy Christmas - Part 1
It’s December, the Christmas count down has begun and that can only mean one thing… Advent Calendar! This year my lovely lady, has got me, possibly, the best Advent Calendar in the world ever! The Hoppy Christmas craft beer advent calendar by Ales By Mail (http://www.alesbymail.co.uk), 24 Christmas themed craft beers from every corner of the country. Over the next moth I will uploading weekly videos showing each beer as they come out of the box and posting a weekly blog post briefly describing and reviewing each beer.
No.1 Figgy Pudding - Hardknott Brewery - Dark, strong and very seasonal. It smells like Christmas, it tastes like Christmas, it’s basically everything you could ever want in Christmas beer.
No.2 Silures - The Celt Experience - A Pale unfiltered ale. Cloudy with a malty sweetness and a fruity, almost citrusy, edge.
No.3 Bledlows Silence - The Unseen University Boathouse Brewery - A Classic IPA. Smells of pine trees, earthy with a citrus edge. Tastes almost exactly as it smells with a gentle lingering bitterness.
No.4 Chocolate Lager - Hogs Back Brewery - Smells and tastes almost exactly as you’d expect it to, as soon as you open the bottle you’re hit by chocolate. The first mouthful tastes like a good lager, after that it gets progressively more chocolatey.
No.5 Sundown - Hawkshead Brewery - A Well hopped red beer. It smells almost citrusy with a slight sweetness to it. Tastes hoppy but with a fruity edge that curbs the bitterness.
No.6 Cwrw-istmas Beacons - Brecon Brewing - Pale chestnut coloured ale brewed with yuletide fruits and spices. It smells of Christmas, rich and warming with a hint of dried fruit. It has a deceptively hoppy taste with a bitter edge.
The videos of me unboxing the first 6 beers can be found on my YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/Grymourn/videos
No.1 Figgy Pudding - Hardknott Brewery - Dark, strong and very seasonal. It smells like Christmas, it tastes like Christmas, it’s basically everything you could ever want in Christmas beer.
No.2 Silures - The Celt Experience - A Pale unfiltered ale. Cloudy with a malty sweetness and a fruity, almost citrusy, edge.
No.3 Bledlows Silence - The Unseen University Boathouse Brewery - A Classic IPA. Smells of pine trees, earthy with a citrus edge. Tastes almost exactly as it smells with a gentle lingering bitterness.
No.4 Chocolate Lager - Hogs Back Brewery - Smells and tastes almost exactly as you’d expect it to, as soon as you open the bottle you’re hit by chocolate. The first mouthful tastes like a good lager, after that it gets progressively more chocolatey.
No.5 Sundown - Hawkshead Brewery - A Well hopped red beer. It smells almost citrusy with a slight sweetness to it. Tastes hoppy but with a fruity edge that curbs the bitterness.
No.6 Cwrw-istmas Beacons - Brecon Brewing - Pale chestnut coloured ale brewed with yuletide fruits and spices. It smells of Christmas, rich and warming with a hint of dried fruit. It has a deceptively hoppy taste with a bitter edge.
The videos of me unboxing the first 6 beers can be found on my YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/Grymourn/videos
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