40 B4 40-The Jetty

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No. 11: After a pretty exhausting, but exhilarating, Food Week we decided a quiet night out was on the cards. We were joined by our good friends J&S, who were also recovering from an amazing week in their Milford on Sea restaurant.

We decided to go to The Jetty in Mudeford, Christchurch. Alex Aitken had been massively supportive during Food Week, so a visit to his award winning restaurant seemed a top idea.

On arriving we were given a very warm welcome. Alex himself was off for the evening, but he had left a very nice welcome note.

The Jetty is well known for serving fresh sustainable local fish, in particular, much of the fish comes directly from the fishermen on Mudeford Quay, which is part of the dramatic and ever changing view from the window.  I have fond memories of Mudeford Quay as a child and with my own children, so it is always nice to visit.

As we salivated over the various menus and price options, our drinks order was taken. We soon spotted that The Jetty has an unusual and creative ’While You Choose Menu’ in addition to their local produce set course menu with 2 courses for £17.95, or 3 courses £21.95, a full a la carte menu and a ‘blow you mind’ tasting menu.

We of course went for some of the dishes from the ’While You Choose Menu’ as we started on our first bottle of a very fine Californian Petite Sirah. The Tempura prawns, Tempura oysters with dipping sauce, Smoked salmon stuffed with soft herb cheese, and the ‘to die for’ marinated cockles got the evening off to a perfect start.

An evening out with J&S normally gets very messy quite early, and then ends with inappropriate loud singing, ‘S’ falling over at some stage and my wife with a hangover for several days. On this occasion our combination of aching muscles & tired brains, meant we simply had a refined and very enjoyable evening of conversation.

The main event was soon underway when one of my all time favourite starters arrived. Alex’s twice baked cheese soufflé is a true classic and every mouthful a delight. Others in our party had Poussin, foie gras & prune terrine with salad & truffle vinaigrette, Mudeford crab risotto topped with white crab meat & whole tempura tiger prawn, and Rustic salad with Parma ham & hens egg.

Every time I visit, I find it very difficult to resist the Christchurch bay fish and chips with tartare sauce, however, being a man of mystery and constant surprise, I shocked myself by going for Braised rabbit with pea risotto. J& S had Calves liver with leek and potato cake, sautéed onions, Hampshire watercress & a red wine sauce, Fillet of Dorset sea bream with chorizo, ratatouille and Hampshire watercress. My wife had Fillet of Dorset sea bream with crushed new potatoes, spinach and chorizo.

As the second bottle of Petite Sirah slipped down easily as we all enjoyed the sweets of Banana tart tatin with fudge ice cream & peanut brittle, Warm chocolate fondant with brownie and ice cream, and a Rhubarb mille feuille, my wife even succumbed to the local cheese and biscuits.

Our dining partners are so knowledgeable about food it is rare that they are impressed, however there was only compliments from us all tonight.

In summary, The Jetty is in an attractive modern eco-building, the location is fabulous and the view rivals any in the world, the dining room is impressive, warm and inviting, the team are friendly, knowledgeable and attentive, the food and prices hit every taste and pocket, and each dish is beautifully cooked and presented. In fact, this place has every reason to be pretentious, but it is quite the opposite, it is relaxed and focused on looking after you.

Without doubt, The Jetty is one of my favourite restaurants in the country. The only problem I can see, is that The Jetty is not in Milford on Sea.

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http://www.thejetty.co.uk/

If you are wondering what the 40 B4 40 Dining Challenge is all about, please click here and all will be explained.

Play Park Underway

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The resurfacing work has now started on the childrens’ play park next to the Needles Eye Café on Milford on Sea seafront.

(Editor’s note: I am never sure were apostrophes are supposed to go, and ‘childrens’ is a particularly confusing one. Please don’t explain it to me, I didn’t listen at school when I bothered to turn up, and it is too late to learn now!)

For anyone that doesn’t know, this work is taking place thanks to a extremely generous £20,000+ donation from a local anonymous donor.

I for one am really looking forward to seeing how it looks on completion, it should be a real benefit for many families in, and visiting, the village.

(Editor’s note: I’m not sure about how to properly use comma’s either, but I reckon it is always better to have too many than too few. Arggh, should that have been ‘to’ or ‘too’! ..... I find my second fluent language of French so much easier mon ami.)

Shop Local

Writing about Dave Gates’ new website got me thinking. I know everyone bangs on about how we should support our Milford on Sea village shops, and I suspect we all have the best intentions to do so.  But, do we really do it?

Indeed there is something quite romantic in living in a village with ‘old fashioned’ shops, and I guess we all know the reason why we should support them, we all want to, but life is busy, local shopping takes time, and the big supermarkets are easy to use for us all.

I am as guilty as the next man, but given the time and chance, I try when I can, but never often enough.  We must be pretty unique in having two butchers, a greengrocers, an independent grocers store, a florist, a model shop, a launderette, (a hundred hairdressers!) etc, for just 5000 villagers. Like many today, these guys must be finding life pretty tough, so it would be a great gesture of support if we could all buy a little more from the village shops before we all mourn their passing and they become a fond but distant memory.

As I sit here enjoying another whisky, I have calculated that if every resident just spent another £10 in the village shops each week, they would share £50,000 weekly, and that is the sort of sum that can seriously help their survival.

Would lots of small actions really make a difference? I reckon so, as the old saying goes; ‘How do you eat an elephant?’ – Answer; ‘In bite-size pieces’.

The Butchers Shop Online

Our award winning local butcher has got himself a new website. I say new, but it is indeed his first foray online. David Gates, famous in the village for his sausages, bacon and hog roast, has now made an investment to have a presence on the web, which you can see using the link at the end of this article.

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It is interesting to discover that David supplies grass fed free range New Forest beef from local farms, free range outdoor reared pork, and local Dorset and Hampshire lamb. He also produce a unique range of nationally recognised prize-winning sausages and delicious home-cured bacon which is dry cured on the premises and offered in traditional style, or with their our own hickory smoked version (a genuine smoke not chemical). It is no surprise to know that David is the current Hampshire Bacon Champion.

Adding even more, The Butchers Shop also offer an attractive range of products to compliment their meat products, such as fresh cheeses, chutneys, pickles, mustards, honey, and local free range eggs from Kitts Merries Farm in Romsey.

David also does free home deliveries when you find leaving the house difficult. To complete his range of services, he also does a tasty Hog Roast for parties and events.

We of course are lucky enough to have two butchers in the village, with Dave Gregory also providing fresh meat from his butchers shop in the Keyhaven Road end of the High Street.

Enjoy eating local!

The Butchers Shop, 3 Church Hill, Milford on Sea, SO41 0QH
Tel: 01590 642136
http://www.gatesbutchers.com/

Granary Kitchen Demonstrations

The Granary Kitchen, a new Cookery School in Newlands Manor Farm, is holding two Butcher Demonstration Evenings in association with Sway Butchers.  This new venture is run by local chef, Christian Rivron.

The first course features 10 Ways to Prepare a Chicken on Monday 11th June, and another course is planned for Monday 10th September when attendees can learn how to Butcher a Pig.

Both evenings will include a Cookery Demonstration with sampling of the dishes cooked.

To book your place, please call: 01590 673040

or email: christian@thegranarykitchen.com

The Granary Kitchen
Newlands Manor Farm, Milford on Sea, SO41 0JH

http://www.thegranarykitchen.com/

Play Bowls by the Sea

Another new website is now promoting one of Milford on Sea most popular clubs. Packed with information, the Milford Bowls Club website gives all the information a member, or potential member may need.

The club was founded in 1933 and is situated in Hurst Road on Milford on Sea seafront enjoying spectacular views of the Isle of Wight and the Needles.

The Clubs Green has 6 rinks that are amongst the finest in the area, and they have an extensive social calendar as well as plenty of opportunities to play competitive or fun bowls.

The summer season is from early April until late September with the Short mat bowls season taking place most days in the clubhouse during the winter.

Experienced bowlers moving to the area and any residents wishing to play this enjoyable sport are welcome to contact the club secretary for further details.

You can even try your hand at lawn green bowls to see if you like it. A Club Steward (a playing member of the club) is on hand during the open sessions to help and give advice if required. The public visitor sessions are just £5pp including hire of shoes and bowls, and the fun is free!

Contact: Milford Bowls Club
http://www.milfordbowls.co.uk/

Another Food Week Bird Walk

Following the successful Food Week ‘Feed the birds walk' around Sturt Pond local nature reserve on Tuesday 10th April when 29 different bird species were seen, the Milford Conservation Volunteers (MCV) led a second walk around the Pleasure Grounds (woodlands) and Studland Common nature reserve on Wednesday 11th April.

The guides were Tony Locke, MCV Conservation Officer, Mervyn Couzens (River Warden) and Keith Metcalf. Ten youngsters and ten parents and grandparents walked the grounds with their guides and were again enthralled with some fine close-up views of woodland birds aided by some clever pre-recorded bird song gadgetry. The recordings enticed some of the birds down from the trees to within a couple of feet of the walkers! Britain’s smallest bird, the Goldcrest, whose high-pitched call is usually only heard at the top of extremely tall pine trees, was encouraged to come down at Mill Meadow balancing pond to give spectacular close-up views of its gold stripe along the top of its head, while continuing to sing his heart out to the lucky bird spotters.

Other woodland birds seen and heard were, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Long-tailed Tit and Blackcap, while some walkers were lucky enough to see a pair of Sparrowhawks in mating flight over Studland Common. Nuthatch and Green Woodpecker were also recorded and a Speckled Wood butterfly landed on the ground leading down onto the MEG Boardwalk at Sharvells Copse. The total birds recorded over the two days was an impressive 42 different species.

Keith said that; “It was a wonderful opportunity to again take a number of youngsters around our nature reserves and if just one of the 28 visiting children goes on to have an interest in nature and local conservation, then one of the Milford Conservation Volunteer objectives will have been achieved”.

Further walks are being arranged by the MCV to encourage a better understanding of why woodlands, commons, streams and reed-beds need to be managed appropriately for the benefit of both wildlife and public amenity. These walks will be supported by a brand new Milford-on-Sea nature reserve walks booklet, which is being published in the summer and will be available for a small charge from village shops, businesses and from the MCV direct. Look out for the official announcement of its launch.

A Bike in Cambodia

We are happy to publish a story sent in by Milford on Sea village resident, Sue Forward. Together with a group of other adventurous cyclists, they managed to raise £65,000 for under privileged children.

Reflections of Cycling in Vietnam and Cambodia

So much traffic, so much beauty, so much contrast, ravaged by war, new opportunities for a new generation.

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With a time difference of 7 hours we arrived in Saigon – now known as Ho Chi Minh City. The next day we had free and so visited the Cu Chi Tunnels, the hide out of the Vietcong, stretching from Saigon to the Cambodian border. Those of us who were small enough could fit into the narrow passageways, giving an empathic and claustrophobic appreciation for the people who spent weeks underground.

Imagine a constant stream of countless cars and motor scooters in all directions, scooters sometimes with 2 or 3 persons plus a calf or a pig, pavements teaming with street vendors, ramshackle wooden shops selling silk and spices, cafes selling steaming bowls of noodle soup by the roadside, incense filled pagodas, a Vietnamese guide in front giving hand signalling directions at traffic lights with a countdown of thirty seconds to get across, and a guide of similar nationality shouting “keep going” from the rear!! Phew! We did make it out of Saigon and cycled 30 miles the first day with increasing confidence but realising too how much of a challenge the heat and humidity were going to be, temperatures reaching 100 degrees – keeping hydrated was of utmost importance! Reaching the ferry to cross the Mekong Delta we saw a water world of boats, houses and markets.

The next day we had a wait of 3 hours in order to cross the border and into Cambodia, we cycled a further 30 miles to Kep, founded as a colonial retreat for the French elite. With a longer wait than anticipated we were cycling our very hardest in order to reach Kep before dark but the next day we saw strong evidence of the Khmer Rouge rule with scores of Kep’s luxurious pre-war villas still blackened shells. The longest day, cycling 60 miles, we past lush scenery, rice paddies and fish farms and a constant wave from children, little voices from nowhere, and hands out to do “Ha Five” as we rode along. We must have been getting tired – two people fell off their bikes and cramp for some was debilitating. Our guides and back up team were tremendous.

Day 4 was probably the hardest, although not the longest, 50 miles, certainly the hilliest. But for those who struggled up the hills there was always someone from behind who could manage to give you a gentle push! We arrived that evening in Phnom Penh, the capital. If we could get out of Saigon, surely we could get into Phnom Penh, a city of poverty and excess, of charm and chaos!

We had two free days visiting the Royal Palace, Wat Phnom and the sobering and poignant Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum which documents past struggles of the Khmer people. The next two days we cycled 40 miles on each, visiting a school and taking books, pencils and rulers.

Our flight home from Siem Reap was 17 hours with a 7 hour wait at Seoul. Touching down at Heathrow I thanked God for our safe return, the privilege of having the opportunity to learn more about the incredible culture and lifestyle of the Vietnam and Cambodian people. There were 22 of us and the whole challenge raised £65,000 for under privileged children in the South of England. Thank you to all who have been part of that journey.  Sue Forward

No Food Week Update!

At the begining of Food Week I had planned to give an update on how things are going.

However, I had to make a choice; either write a daily blog, or visit as many events as possible to find delights to eat.



You of course know what I chose to do!

So, with two days still to go, and much still to visit to and things still to eat, I hope to bump into you on my travels.  (Not literally I hope, I'm a big lad and could do a lot of damage by randomly trampling on someone!)  

Although I do not have a Food Week Update for anyone, I do having aching legs and I am struggling to know what day it is!  Naturally, a quick taste of something soon makes all of this more than bearable.

I have been delighted to see so many smiling faces in so many places around the village, and I hope you have had already enjoyed many highlights during Food Week.  There is still penty to visit and experience - so keep eating!!

PS: With the hundreds of pictures taken and many events still happening, there a slim chance a summary of Food Week may be completed by around the middle of October!  Removing all the weight gained may take a lot longer!

http://www.milfordonseafoodweek.org/

Simon off up the Peaks!

Simon Pollock, Managing Director and Chairman at Shorefield Country Park in Milford on Sea, is embarking on a slightly mad challenge.

He has signed up to do the Three Peaks Challenge by climbing the three tallest mountains in the British Isles within 24 hours on the 12th/13th May 2012. Simon is pleased to say that his training is going well and that he has already shed ten pounds and clocked up quite a few miles in the process.

Whilst the weight loss sounds a benefit, the idea of even running to the village green makes me fell nauseous!

Simon is doing the challenge in aid of the Motor Neurone Disease Association as someone close to his family contracted and died of this crippling disease recently.

If you would like to support his efforts or cause, a donation can be made here:

www.justgiving.com/Simon-Pollock

Westover Hall changes hands

We are sad to see David & Christine Smith move on from Westover Hall.  Over the past few years they have been warm and generous hosts, putting a lot of work into maintaining the standards and service at their hotel and restaurant in the heart of Milford on Sea.

Rumour has it that Westover Hall in currently in the process of being taken over, and we hear that the new owners will be Hall & Woodhouse.

The magnificent Grade II Listed Victorian mansion enjoys uninterrupted views of Christchurch Bay, the Isle of Wight and the 'Needles' rocks. The hotel even has its own private beach hut, which enjoys panoramic views stretching from Hurst Castle in the east to Hengistbury Head in the west. Westover Hall currently has the fine dining 'One Park Lane' Restaurant, a cosy bar, and the 'Vista' Bistro for casual dinning.  It of course remains to be seen how the new owners view the best way to organise and run the establishment.  Let's just hope that it continues to include great food!

Built by the famous Victorian architect Arnold Mitchell in 1897, Westover Hall features a magnificent series of stained-glass windows, extensive oak panelling and ceilings decorated in high relief.  Inside, this imposing mansion has a minstrels gallery and impressive stained glass windows, built in the Arts and Craft Style.

We have discovered that Hall and Woodhouse are an independent family company owned and run by the fifth generation of the Woodhouse family. The pub estate has grown to over 250 and stretches from Exeter to Eastbourne and Hemel Hempstead - in the North.   They are also the brewers of the award winning Badger bottled beers, which can be found nationally in leading supermarkets and off licenses. Hall & Woodhouse has a turnover approaching £90m and over 1,500 employees.

As a new era dawns, thanks go to David & Christine for being great hosts, and welcome to our new owners at Westover Hall.

http://www.hall-woodhouse.co.uk/

http://www.westoverhallhotel.com/

Food Week Bird Walk

As part of Food Week, The first bird walk at Sturt Pond nature reserve took place this morning and was led by Milford Conservation Volunteers Keith Metcalf (Wildlife Recorder) and Emily Slade (Youth Leader).

The walk started at Sea Road car park where 18 youngsters, their parents and grandparents listened attentively to their guides. An impressive 30 different bird species were seen on the walk, including lots of common species; house sparrow (who said that they were in decline - we saw plenty), a Pied Wagtail and for those with quick eyes, we saw a Great Spotted Woodpecker flying over the reserve.

Further along the Solent Way footpath, we saw a pair of Canada Geese and a pair of Shelduck in the pond along with lots of Black Headed Gulls (they actually have brown heads!), Herring Gulls, a single Great Black-backed Gull, Common Gull and a pair of Mediterranean Gulls (who have black heads just to confuse us birdwatchers!) and were seen and heard flying over the reserve. At Cut Bridge, a single male Red-breasted Merganser was seen flying off the pond towards Keyhaven. The children fed the 13 Mute Swans who had congregated at this spot. Further around the southern end of the pond, the youngsters saw over 40 Turnstones (a small wading bird often seen at close quarters along the Quay wall at Keyhaven).

The walkers were then invited into the Bird Hide (open all year round between 9am and dusk) in smaller groups to hear about the birds that have been seen at the reserve. The children were also entertained by recordings of some of the more common birds, including the Cuckoo, Chiffchaff, Mallard and Rooks in a rookery. Keith and Emily then handed RSPB lapel badges to all the children of the Brent Goose, a well-travelled who has become synonymous with Sturt Pond. This bird annually travels from Russia to spend their winters with us. About 500 to 600 Brent Geese regularly visit the reserve.

Tomorrow, Wednesday 11th April, a second walk will be led by Keith, Emily and Tony Locke and will be looking at birds of the woodlands and common. Meet at 10am at the bottom of Barnes Lane. Bring Wellies and a bottle of water. Parents, children and grandparents are reminded that there are no WC facilities en route.

A small contribution towards the bird food, which will be handed out to children would be very much appreciated. All proceeds will be given towards Food Week.